The Crest of Corruption
by Arek the Absolute
Summary: As the search for a lost friend continues, an evil lurks in the darkness, ready to strike. The darkness is growing. Will the DigiDestined discover the truth in time to stop this force? The thrilling sequel to The White DigiEgg.
1. Evil Awakening

[Disclaimer: I still don't own digimon. Would ya' believe it? No, I'm not making money off this. You get the picture.

Speaking of pictures, the ones from this series can be viewed at http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/mnemx9/Arek.html as usual. When new pics come up, I'll put a =____= around his/her name, just because I'm a nice guy. In case you haven't already figured it out, this fic is actually the second in an epic series. You don't have to read part one of the series if you don't want to, but it'd probably make more sense if you started by Reading **The White DigiEgg**. You should know that I plan to put up new sections to the story at least once a week, usually on Sunday. I'm trying to increase my production, but sometimes it's hard to find the time. Of course, if you're the forgetful type, you can always join my new mailing list. Simply leave your email address in a review, and I'll email you every time a new chapter comes up. Now then, I feel I've wasted enough of everyone's time. Let us begin…]

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Digimon: Legends

The Crest of Corruption

Hey, this is Tai! The past few weeks have been pretty quiet for us DigiDestined. Matt and I have been taking it easy, recovering from the injuries we received in the big battle against Protomon. All the others though have been hard at work, scouring the Digital World for Jack and Stormdramon without much luck. Mimi, Willis and Michael all went back to New York, so they can't go looking much without D-3s. Oh by the way, TK and Kari have been out on a couple dates and they seem to be having a lot of fun. Davis is, as you would expect, pretty jealous whenever he sees them together. I should be pretty happy, but I've had an uneasy feeling lately.

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Day 21

"What do you think, Stormdramon?" asked Jack. "It looks like this place is pretty damaged."

"Well," replied Stormdramon. "This is probably our best chance at finding a way home."

All around the pair lay an endless desert. A thin layer of clouds overhead revealed the glowing red light of the approaching dawn in the east. The desert winds had long since calmed, and all was perfectly still. Before them lay what appeared to be nothing more than a large mound of sand, probably twenty feet high at its greatest, yet nearly a mile in diameter. Closer inspection though had revealed a structure hidden beneath the sand. The exterior had been made out of a local red stone, but Jack and Stormdramon knew not to be deceived by external appearances. Based on what they had been able to gather, the technology to return home awaited them inside. They had located what seemed to be the main entrance, but a cave-in had blocked it. Several tons of stone covered the ancient door, preventing any entry.

"Would you care to do the honors?" asked Jack.

"Gladly," said Stormdramon, charging an electric field around himself.

When Stormdramon's energy was fully charged, he released a bolt of electricity in his Raging Storm attack, quickly peeling away the first few layers of rubble.

"Well, it's a start," said Jack.

"Don't worry," said Stormdramon. "I'll get us through soon enough."

"As long as we don't have to sit through anther day in the sun," said Jack.

"Well if SOMEONE hadn't eaten the last of the beef jerky, I might have enough energy to digivolve and get us in that much faster," huffed Stormdramon.

"Alright, alright," said Jack. "Point taken. I'll tell you what. The sooner you get us in, the sooner we can get back to our own world, and the sooner you can eat. Sound fair?"

"Deal," said Stormdramon as he charged up his attack again.

After about five or six more shots, Stormdramon finally blasted through the rubble. Coughing from the thick dust and sand, Jack quickly made his way forward to the door. The door was at the back of a small alcove. The stone overhang was only a few inches over Jack's head, so he had to crouch slightly. As for the door itself, it appeared to be made of iron. Years of wear-and-tear had clearly taken their toll on it, but the door remained intact, albeit with signs of aging. There was no visible handle and a very heavy lock built into the door ensured that it wasn't going anywhere.

"This looks like it could be a problem," said Jack, bending over to examine the lock.

The lock was made up of several thick interlocking teeth. Judging by the level of security that was clearly observable, there was also likely to be a backup mechanism; probably a series of retractable metal bars attaching the door to the frame. Jack tapped the door twice with his knuckles, listening closely at the sound.

"Definitely trouble," said Jack. "That door must be nearly a foot thick."

"I can handle that thing, no problem," said Stormdramon, coming up behind Jack.

"There's a big difference between blowing up a few rocks and getting through a solid foot of iron," said Jack. "There's got to be an easier way."

"Well I'm not searching this whole place for a back door which may or may not exist," said Stormdramon. "I say we find a way in through this one."

"Easier said than done," said Jack.

"It'll be a piece of cake," said Stormdramon, leaning against the wall next to the door.

Suddenly, a square panel measuring roughly a square foot across that Stormdramon was leaning against began to glow with a blue light. Stormdramon immediately fell back in surprise, causing Jack to chuckle a bit. The light slowly faded as Jack began to wipe the dust and dirt away from the panel. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be some type of electronic screen.

"What is it?" asked Stormdramon nervously.

"Some kind of scanning device I bet," said Jack. "Maybe like a hand-print identifier. Hard to believe you'd find that kind of technology way out here. Something tells me this place wasn't built by digimon."

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" asked Stormdramon in an offended tone.

"Oh just relax," said Jack. "I didn't mean anything by it. Wait a second… I have an idea."

Jack pressed his hand against the panel and waited several seconds, but nothing happened.

"Strange," said Jack. "I would've figured it would have some kind of reaction. Hey Stormdramon, you try again."

"Alright," said Stormdramon.

He cautiously placed his hand on the panel, which immediately turned blue again.

"Seems to me that it must only react to digimon," said Jack.

"Maybe this place was built by digimon after all," said Stormdramon. "Particularly, digimon that didn't want humans to come barging in."

"Very funny," said Jack.

Suddenly, they both heard a whirring noise behind the door. Metallic scraping and a series of clicks followed. Then the vacuum seal on the door was broken and the door slid open on its own. The glow beneath Stormdramon's hand faded.

"I guess we're supposed to go inside now," said Jack.

"Yeah, I guess," said Stormdramon.

The two nervously approached the open door. It led immediately to a long staircase heading down into an incredibly dark hallway. The pair stared down into the blackness inside, having to adjust there eyes after travelling through the desert for a couple of days in search of this place.

"After you," said Jack, swallowing.

"Oh no, I really think you should go first," said Stormdramon.

"You're supposed to be protecting me," said Jack.

"I'll flip ya' for it," said Stormdramon.

"We've been lost in the Digital World for fifteen days," said Jack. "We've been chased, starved, nearly drowned, almost eaten by a Seadramon, and got one step too close to an Okuwamon who is definitely not a morning person. What are the odds that I have any change on me?"

"Fine," said Stormdramon. "We'll go together."

"Right…" said Jack. "Together."

Very nervously, the pair slowly made their way down a flight of metal stairs into a long, dark hallway. Everything was made of metal and seemed to have a slightly bluish sheen to it. It was quite warm, and the air was very dry and stale, probably recycled. They could both smell a hint of ozone. The hallways were fairly narrow, and all had a few metal doors placed along them at seemingly random intervals. Their eyes were already beginning to adjust and the two of them could tell that the technology used in this place was quite impressive, but not advanced enough to prevent it from falling into disrepair. However, in addition to the damage done by aging, it looked as though this place had seen some action. Metal walls had been torn away, revealing the wiring underneath. There were scorches and dents every so often. There were pieces of broken equipment strewn about the place. Some of the doors had been blown open, and some of the hallways had even collapsed.

The place was a huge subterranean labyrinth in which all the halls looked the same. Most of the doors were either locked or jammed shut. There were even occasional machine-type digimon like Datamon and Mekanorimon to be found, but all had been deactivated long ago.

"So," said Jack. "This is where the digivices were created. It looks so run-down."

"I think I've been here before," said Stormdramon, rubbing his head. "Yes, it was a very long time ago, before I met you. It's hard to remember. I… I think I had been through a really bad fight. I… I can't remember too well."

"It's alright," said Jack comfortingly. "Just think it through and tell me what you do remember."

"I… I remember hearing Gennai's voice," said Stormdramon. "He said something about the digivices and other DigiEggs. Then he put me on a shelf with two other eggs. He said that they were going to send the three of us into the real world."

"Why?" asked Jack.

"I'm not sure," replied Stormdramon. "I couldn't quite make out what he said. Keep in mind that it was eight years ago. My memory isn't THAT great."

"What happened next?" asked Jack.

"I… I think they said something about a search," said Stormdramon. "Yes… that's it. They were searching for someone… DigiDestined! Yeah, that's right, they were searching for DigiDestined."

"Anything else?" asked Jack.

"Just three words," said Stormdramon. "New York, Colorado, and Japan."

"I think I get it," said Jack. "Eight years ago, three DigiEggs appeared in the real world. They were Willis' digimon, the Greymon that turned up in Japan, and you. Why didn't you ever mention this before?"

"I didn't remember," said Stormdramon. "I guess this place jogged my memory."

"Anything else?" asked Jack. "This could be really helpful."

"I…I…!" suddenly Stormdramon fell forward, gripping his head tight. "It hurts! Get it out! Why… why can't I…?!"

"Shh…" hushed Jack, trying to calm his friend down with by placing his hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, it's alright. You did good. Just calm down."

The pain left Stormdramon's eyes, but he was still sweating and breathing heavily.

"I'm okay," croaked Stormdramon.

"You sure?" asked Jack.

"Positive," said Stormdramon, returning to his feet.

"Alright then," said Jack. "We'd better keep looking."

The two of them continued to search the strange facility, moving deeper and deeper in as their quest for something useful. After nearly an hour of wandering through long hallways, empty warehouses, cluttered workshops, and the occasional break room, they eventually came to a large door. Upon opening it, the pair discovered what looked like the command center. It was dark, but they could make out computer-covered walls, as well as a large, circular console in the very center of the room, fully equipped with a chair and cup-holder. On the far wall was a large window that looked down onto a huge central room where assorted junk had laid undisturbed for years. Jack sat down at the main console, looking it up and down.

"Man, Izzy would have a heyday in this place," said Jack. "I wonder if any of this stuff still works.

"Only one way to find out," said Stormdramon, quickly tapping a large button on the side of the console.

Several seconds passed. Slowly, the computer whirred to life. All the keys and monitors on it were suddenly illuminated with a bluish light around the edges.

"That's more like it!" said Jack, cracking his knuckles. "It's about time we had some light."

"Speaking of light, I'm gonna' check for a switch," said Stormdramon. "There's got to be one around here somewhere…"

As Stormdramon felt along the wall, Jack began to type fervently at the keyboard. Several minutes passed before Stormdramon finally came across something.

"Aha!" said Stormdramon. "I've got it!"

He quickly flicked the switch up. A single, white overhead light brightened, but quickly fizzled out.

"Ah crap," said Stormdramon. "You'd think that with all this technology, they could come up with a better light-bulb."

"Hey Stormdramon, check this out," said Jack. "It looks like there are hundreds of mechanical digimon here, and they're all linked to the main computer. We have everything from Datamon, to Mekanorimon, to Guardromon, to an entire armory full of Tankmon."

"Great," said Stormdramon. "And this helps us how?"

"Just a minute," said Jack, returning to his work. "It says that the main generators are down. Most of the repair bays and workshops are unsalvageable, and those that aren't need both power and repair work."

"What else?" asked Stormdramon.

"Hmm…" muttered Jack. "According to this, the base was abandoned when it fell under heavy attack from some guy named Piedmon."

"That would be the leader of the Dark Masters," said Stormdramon. "You really should pay more attention."

"Anyway," said Jack. "If we plan on using this place to repair my digivice we should probably expect to get our hands a little dirty repairing the equipment that we need to fix it."

"Fantastic," said Stormdramon sedately. "Last time I checked, neither of us was a mechanic. Is there any useful information you can provide, or should I start looking for the exit right away?"

"Hold your horses," said Jack. "I'm not as dumb as you seem to think. I already have a plan."

"And that would be…?" asked Stormdramon.

"Simple," said Jack confidently. "I just use the base email system. I can send a message to the others and tell them exactly where we are. You and I can be back in the real world by dinner time."

"Then what're you waiting for?" asked Stormdramon. "Get typing!"

"Hold on a minute," said Jack. "It looks like someone has mail. I'd better check it out…"

Jack quickly opened the email marked "Hello!". The message read as follows:

"Greetings, young one. I know exactly who you are and what you are doing here. I know you even better than you know yourself. With this thought in mind, I have a question for you. Have you ever considered your true potential; your true purpose? Do you realize that you are meant to be part of a much greater plan? Well I will show you just how much of a role you have to play. The time approaches, and I will not be denied!"

"What the hell is this?" asked Jack, leaning forward on the console.

Without warning, a bundle of wires burst from the console and coiled around Jack's wrist, holding him tight. He immediately tried to pull away, but the wires holding him seemed almost alive, and were not about to let go. Stormdramon quickly turned to help his friend, but he too found himself seized by a thick bundle of wires, which seemed to spring from the wall. They slithered around his neck, pulling him back against the wall and threatening to crush his windpipe.

"Stormdramon!" shouted Jack, immediately going for his digivice.

More wires burst from the console, binding Jack's arm to his side just out of reach of his digivice. More wires appeared out of the floor, holding his feet firmly in place. Stormdramon tried to free himself, but more and more wires continued to overtake him by the second.

"Jack!" shouted Stormdramon.

Soon, they were both overtaken and unable to fight back. Everything went dark.


	2. Growing Concern

"Tai!" shouted Kari.

Tai was jerked awake by his sister's sudden intrusion. He rolled right out of bed and landed on his head. Wearing only a blue T-shirt and a pair of plaid boxers, Tai lay on his upper-back with his lower body folded over himself. As Tai's legs dangling in front of his face he looked up at his sister sheepishly.

"Um, Kari? What are you-?" started Tai, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"I thought you were up over a half-hour ago!" said Kari. "You better really move or you'll be late!"

Tai slowly twisted his neck so he could see the clock running right side up. He instantly realized that he had fifteen minutes to get to school.

"Outta' the way!" shouted Tai, shooting up and tripping over his sheets.

After getting back up again he ran to his dresser. Kari saw the shirt Tai was wearing go flying across the room. A second later, he was dancing around, desperately trying to pull on his socks and button his white shirt at the same time. Moving with amazing speed, Tai got his socks on and grabbed the jacket and gray slacks of his uniform. He slid past Kari after managing to get his socks and jacket on, grabbing his backpack off the table where he had left it. Kari just watched with great amusement as Tai tried to put his pants on two legs at a time while still standing. Of course, he floundered and fell over in the process. Undaunted, Tai yanked his pants into place and quickly grabbed his shoes from where they lay next to the door. He tied them so quickly that he failed to realize that he had in fact tied them together. His first attempted step landed him face-first against the wall.

"Ow, that'll leave a mark," giggled Kari.

Ignoring his sister, Tai quickly retied his shoes and grabbed his bag, bolting out the door. Kari and Meko stuck their heads outside and watched Tai try to run as he zipped his pants and fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

"Wow, that was actually pretty impressive," said Kari, clicking off a stopwatch and checking the time. "One minute, thirty-seven seconds. A new record! Of course, he'll really need to be in the zone to make it to school on time, don't you think Meko?"

The cat meowed in response.

"I think I should try getting pictures next time," said Kari. "It's a good thing my school starts thirty minutes later than Tai's does. I'd hate to miss this every Thursday."

Twelve minutes and nine seconds later, Tai flopped down in his first period seat, right next to Matt. He had his electric razor out and was trying to shave the same time as he combed his hair.

"Better not mix those two up," said Matt with a grin. "Um, Tai? I think we'd all appreciate it if you got to the deodorant next."

"Already did," said Tai with a curious look on his face. "I hit it while I was rounding that second corner."

"Well you might consider adding another coat," said Matt, holding his nose.

"What was your time today?" asked another of Tai's friends, who sat right in front of him.

"Under fifteen. That's all that's important," said Tai.

"You use that shortcut through the alley I showed you?" asked Matt.

"Oh yeah! It worked great!" said Tai. "Well, pretty great up until the point where the rottweiler started chasing me."

"Oh, sorry," said Matt. "I guess I forgot to mention him."

"It's alright," said Tai. "I just chucked my deodorant at him and jumped a fence."

"So I guess there's not much of a chance at that second coat," said Matt.

"Sorry," said Tai. "I guess you'll just have to accept a little stink today."

"So did you get a chance to study for the test next period?" asked Matt, changing the subject.

"We don't have a-" started Tai. "Uh-oh."

Tai's eyes went wide as he quickly pulled a notebook out of his backpack and quickly set about studying for the test.

Over at Odaiba middle school, TK walked towards his first class of the day next to Cody.

"Do you really think she'll like it?" asked TK.

"I'm sure she will," said Cody. "I mean, it's a great gift."

"I sure hope so," said TK nervously. "So are we still on for this afternoon?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? I have a kendo lesson," said Cody. "I guess I'm going to have to take a rain check."

"Dang," said TK. "I guess it's just going to be Yolei, Davis, Kari and I this time then."

"What about Ken?" asked Cody.

"He said he had something to take care of this afternoon," said TK. "It sounded like it was really important."

"Well I hope you guys have better luck this time," said Cody.

"Don't worry Cody," said TK reassuringly. "We'll find him, I promise."

"But what if he's… you know…" said Cody.

"Let's not get into that again," said TK. "Deep down, I know he's alive. I don't believe for a second that he's gone."

"Well I sure hope we can find him soon," said Cody. "Something tells me that his parents won't be fooled by the phony emails a whole lot longer."

"Yeah," said TK. "Especially since he's supposed to be on the plane back to New York in ten days."

"Well let's try not to worry about that now," said Cody. "Let's just hope that today is our lucky day."

"Right," said TK with a smile. "But right now we'd better get to class."

"See you later!" said Cody as he ran off to class.

"Bye!" said TK, doing the same.

Across town in Tamachi, Ken sat at his desk staring off into space. He frequently found his mind wandering back to the object of his affection. For a long time now, he had felt a little spark, but recently that spark had been slowly brewing up into a full-blown electrical storm. Ken sighed heavily, remembering the first time he'd really noticed her. It wasn't that long after he'd abandoned life as the Digimon Emperor. A control spire digimon had taken on the form of a Golemon. Together, their digimon partners had put a stop to the threat posed by Golemon's attempted destruction of the dam.

"Yolei…" murmured Ken to himself.

Ken saw something in her. Externally, he didn't see a whole lot of romantic interest. She was bossy, high-maintenance, and not exactly the prettiest girl Ken had ever seen. During his stint as emperor, Ken could have probably had any girl in Japan if he wanted, but as the strength he'd been given by the dark spore began to fade, so did his popularity. Ken knew he wasn't exactly in high-demand, and yet Yolei seemed to only gain interest in him as time passed. He didn't really understand it, and he had no idea if her intentions were romantic or purely friendly, but he knew that he would have to find out sooner or later. Of course Ken, being quite shy, opted for later.

As time rolled on, Ken's mind began to wander elsewhere. Back to his past. He had spent months trying to rebuild his memory of his life before becoming the emperor, but he had made little progress. Names and faces from back then had begun to register, but they were disjointed, confusing. Ken had been thinking about his past a lot in the past few days, something brought about by the four-year anniversary of his brother's accident. Ken sighed again. It had been four years to the day since he lost his brother. Four years to the day since he had been sent down that terrible path. It had taken him a long time, but Ken knew that he was recovering well from his experiences in the past. He had come a long way, and he was proud of himself. The past was always there, nagging at the back of his mind. He wished that he could have gone to the Digital World with his friends that afternoon, but he was going to the cemetery with his parents. They were going to see Sam's grave, just like they did every so often.

The day rolled forward at a steady pace. It was slow for some and fast for others. Tai took his test, squeaking by with a C+, TK nervously waited for school to end so he could see Kari, and Yolei did her best to flirt with the boy at the head of her row in math class. Davis got chewed out for breaking yet another window in one of his indoor soccer matches, Cody went over techniques for his kendo lesson, and Ken remained his usual quiet self.

"Only two more minutes," thought Yolei near the end of the school day.

She couldn't wait for class to end. She had finally gotten that boy in her math class to agree to go out for a bite to eat with her. She had it all planned out. Poromon was going to be with Cody and Upamon all night. She had gotten her parents to let her take the afternoon off from the store, and it was the weekend so it was okay if she didn't get her homework done right away. The bell rang and she practically jumped out of her seat and flew out the door.

Meanwhile, TK shot out of his seat like a rocket. He wanted to surprise Kari outside her locker but it was all the way on the other side of school. He had bought her a gift with what he had saved from his allowance. It was a silver bracelet; a bit expensive for him, but he felt that Kari was more than worth it. If Kari had asked him, TK would have probably been willing to give up a kidney. He bolted out the door and ran as fast as he could to get to the other side of the school, skidding to a stop in front of Kari's locker just as she came around the corner.

"Oh hi TK," greeted Kari. "How did you get here so fast?"

"*Pant* Oh, it was…*pant* nothing," wheezed TK.

Kari chuckled a bit.

"Say, what's that you have there?" asked Kari, pointing at the small box TK was carrying.

"It's a surprise," said TK, hiding the small box behind his back. "Hold out your hand and close your eyes."

Kari did as she was told with a giddy little smile. As TK opened the box and prepared to put the bracelet into her palm, Yolei came running around the corner. Having failed to see him, she ran right into him and Kari, causing all three of them to collapse into a pile.

"Oh, sorry guys," said Yolei, quickly standing up and brushing herself off. "I was in a rush and didn't see you. Say TK, that's a really nice bracelet. I'd love to stay and chat, but I've really got to go."

Yolei, who was apparently a little hyper at the moment, ran off. As TK rubbed his head and dusted off his hat, Kari picked up the bracelet and examined it. Then, she gave him a big hug.

"Thank you TK!" said Kari as she hugged her boyfriend. "I love it!"

"Ah, it was nothing," said TK sheepishly. "Hey, why don't we-"

"No time to rest now," said Kari. "We've got plans, remember?"

Kari quickly grabbed TK by the wrist and pulled him in the direction of the computer room. After a quick sprint they reached their destination. Davis was there, waiting for them. He was leaning back against one of the windows, his hands behind his head and a look of exhaustion on his face. Demiveemon sat on his head, while Patamon and Gatomon sat up on one of the tables.

"Hey guys," said Davis. "Where's Yolei?"

"Last time I saw her she was in a bit of a hurry," said TK. "I don't think she's coming today. I also talked to Cody earlier and he isn't coming either."

"But Izzy and Sora are coming this time," announced Kari. "We should wait here for them."

"When did they decide to join in?" asked TK.

"Sora called me last night," said Kari.

"Great," said TK, slumping into one of the chairs. "I guess we'll just hang out here until they arrive."

"I don't mind," said Kari. "Besides, it gives me some time to thank you for the lovely present."

"Um, excuse me," said Davis.

"What did you have in mind?" asked TK.

"Excuse me," repeated Davis.

"Oh, I don't know," said Kari mischievously.

"Excuse me!" shouted Davis.

"Oh don't worry Davis," said TK. "We were just messing with you."

"I really do love the present," said Kari, giving TK a quick peck on the cheek.

Davis responded with a gagging-face. The three of them sat down and waited. Finally, after nearly half an hour, Sora and Izzy stepped through the door.

"Sorry we were late," said Izzy apologetically.

"It's not exactly a short walk from the high school," said Sora.

"Don't worry about it," said TK, pulling out his D-3 and aiming it at the nearest computer screen. "Now let's stop wasting time! Digiport open!"

TK waited patiently for the gate to open. They all stood there for a moment in silence, ready to be yanked into another world. After a few seconds had passed they realized that they weren't going anywhere.

"What's going on?" asked TK, looking at his D-3 carefully.

"You must've done it wrong," said Davis. "Here, let me try. Digiport open!"

Again, nothing happened.

"Something must be wrong," said Izzy as he sat down at the computer.

While Izzy studied the computer, Davis and TK were carefully examining their digivices. Sora noticed that Kari had a strange look on her face.

"What's wrong Kari?" asked Sora.

"I'm not quite sure," said Kari. "But something has happened in the Digital World; something very bad. I… I can't really describe it. I feel something… growing; something evil."

"This is strange," said Izzy. "The Digiport is fully functional, but it won't open. It's as if its been sealed somehow."

"Is that possible?" asked Davis.

"It's the only explanation," said Izzy. "But I know that I could never pull it off. In order to seal the gate between the worlds a person would have to know the exact workings of the gate; or else have some kind of special power like Black Wargreymon. Plus, whoever did it would have to be absolutely brilliant to even begin to understand how to seal the gate so masterfully."

"What can we do about it?" asked Sora.

"There's no two ways about it," said Izzy. "Until we find a way to break the seal, no one is going to the Digital World. I'll email Willis and ask him to see if he can figure it out. Davis, you need to tell Ken and Yolei about this and have them meet me. Maybe if Ken, Yolei, Willis, and I all work together we can beat this thing."

Back in the DigiWorld, a dark cloud was spreading across the sky like a plague. It darkened the mountains, the deserts, the oceans, the cities, everything. It continued to expand unrelentingly like a plague. Deep underground in an ancient base that was no longer abandoned, a lean figure stood in the control room, looking out through the window into the large room in front of him, watching repair work being done on the aging equipment. In the room around him, a group of Datamon worked fervently to repair the base systems.

"What is the status of the digivice?" demanded the figure in a powerful voice.

"Repair work is underway, sir," reported one of the Datamon. "Completion is expected within twenty-four hours."

"Make it twelve," said the figure with a cruel smile.

"Yes sir!" said the Datamon with a salute.

"Heh," chuckled the figure. "It was so nice of that boy to provide me with the tools I needed to complete the task at hand. Soon, my power will overflow and spill into the other quadrants of the Digital World and into the human realms as well. Soon, I will have my revenge. Soon, my master shall rise from the ashes…"

The figure glared down at the unassuming, white DigiEgg that lay on the console in front of him.

"Not even you will be able to stand in my way now," said the figure.


	3. Disappearance

Later on in the evening, as the sun began to set over the city of Tokyo, Ken and his parents stood amongst the large stone memorials in the cemetery. Fresh flowers had been laid on the memorial belonging to Osamu Ichijouji.

"I can't believe it's been four whole years," said Ken's mother, her eyes moist with tears. "It seems like just yesterday. My poor little boy…"

"I'm sorry we don't stop by more, champ," said Ken's father affectionately. "We miss you a lot. I hope you know that."

"We're sorry about everything that's happened," said Mrs. Ichijouji. "We really do miss you."

"Sorry I wasn't here last time bro," said Ken. "I hope you understand why."

All three of them bowed their heads, remaining silent for a few moments.

"Well, it's getting late," said Mr. Ichijouji sorrowfully. "We should probably get going. We'll see you later, son."

"Yes…" said Mrs. Ichijouji, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "We should probably head home."

"I'll catch up," said Ken.

"All right, but don't be too long," said Mr. Ichijouji.

"Don't worry," said Ken. "I'll be along soon."

Ken's parents started to walk away, holding each other, still feeling deeply for their lost son. Once they were out of earshot Ken leaned down against his brother's grave.

"I'm sorry for everything Sam," whispered Ken. "I'm sorry that I hated you because you got all the attention. I'm sorry that you had to die. I'm sorry that I tried to replace you. I guess I replaced you in more way than one though. If you hadn't died, it would've been you that might have become the emperor. At least that's what I heard. I'm glad you didn't have to go through anything like that. I'm… I'm really sorry that I tried to take over your life after you were gone. I just couldn't face my own destiny, so I tried to take yours instead. I don't know whether it was because of Millenniumon and the dark spore, or because of Malo Myotismon, or if it might have been my own doing, but whatever the reason, I'm sorry."

Ken stood up shakily. He brushed his hair back and quickly turned to follow his parents. As he walked along he gazed all around him. The sun was sinking low, basking the cemetery in its orange glow. A nearby tree was covered in pink blossoms, which gently floated down over the graves. Out of the corner of his eye, Ken saw someone standing at a memorial not too far away. It was Cody. Upon recognizing his younger friend, Ken immediately changed his course. As he approached, he slowed to a stop.

"I miss you dad," said Cody, not taking notice of Ken. "I really do. I know I don't come see you as much as I should, but it's not easy with all the responsibilities I have now. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. You were a DigiDestined once too. It's not an easy life."

Cody looked like he was about to continue, but he suddenly noticed Ken.

"Oh, hi Ken," said Cody. "I didn't see you there."

"I'm sorry if I interrupted you," said Ken. "I should be going."

"No, wait," said Cody. "I don't mind, really."

"You sure?" asked Ken.

"Positive," said Cody.

Ken smiled a bit before moving in closer.

"So is this your dad?" asked Ken after a few seconds.

"Yeah," replied Cody. "This is him. Hiroki Hida."

"You miss him?" asked Ken.

"Of course," said Cody. "Every day. Say, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see my brother," said Ken. "It's been four years since…"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Cody.

"Don't be," said Ken. "I'm alright with it now… for the most part."

A few more moments of silence passed between the two.

"Ken?" asked Cody.

"Yeah?" asked Ken.

"Why does it have to be like this?" asked Cody.

"Like what?" responded Ken.

"You know," said Cody. "So hard. Why do people have to die? My dad and your brother both died, but why? And what about Mr. Oikawa… and Black Wargreymon… and now Protomon, Stormdramon, and Jack."

"I don't know," said Ken. "I just don't know."

"I don't think I want to go back to the Digital World any more," announced Cody. "I was scared to go after Mr. Oikawa died there, but now Jack too. It's never going to be the same again."

"I know it's scary," said Ken. "But sometimes we just have to tough it out. Besides, we don't even know if Jack is gone. I still believe that he's alive and well."

"TK said the same thing," said Cody, turning his gaze skyward. "Sometimes, I wish I was a digimon. That way, I'd never have to worry about dying, because digimon always come back. I wish no one had to die. I wish we could all live forever, like the digimon."

"I wish it could be like that too," said Ken. "But believe it or not, nothing lasts forever, not even digimon."

"What do you mean?" asked Cody.

"Not everyone knows this, but digimon can die too," said Ken. "I don't know exactly why or when, but digimon all die, just like humans."

"Oh," said Cody. "I didn't know."

" I can't explain why death happens," said Ken. "But I think it has something to do with appreciating the time we get; with knowing that we have limits. Our digimon won't be around forever, just like us. I think that's one of the things that helps connect us to our partners; that we're all mortal."

"Hmm…" muttered Cody. "I guess you're right. There's something… comforting about knowing that Armadillomon won't live on forever without me. He'd be really lonely. But I still don't see why anyone needs to die."

"I don't either," said Ken.

"If I had my way, no one would have to die ever," said Cody. "I wish everyone could get along."

"I hope your dream comes true someday," said Ken. "If only there were more people like you, maybe people wouldn't have to die for no reason."

The two looked back at the grave of Cody's father. The cool evening breeze stirred the tree, covering them both in a light coating of rosy blossoms.

****

Day 22

A shrill beeping noise upset the calm of the early morning. Mimi awoke with a jolt to the sound of her alarm clock, which had disturbed he rest. Under normal circumstances, Mimi was always very calm, levelheaded, and generally sweet. However, if there was one thing she detested it was having her beauty sleep interrupted. Suffice to say the alarm clock was dispatched with a well-placed drop kick out the bedroom window. Mimi yawned and stretched.

"Morning again," said Mimi, feeling her chipper attitude beginning to awaken. "I'd better get moving so I can get started on the day!"

Mimi quickly went about her morning routine. She showered, making sure to give extra attention to her hair care. She spent nearly forty-five minutes in the bathroom primping. After that, she returned to her room and began the arduous task of selecting her clothes for the day. To make a long story short, after going through a good part of her extensive wardrobe, Mimi finally decided on a skin-tight, red skirt with a white halter-top and matching boots. Over that she wore a small, red jacket, the sleeves of which barely reached her elbows while the bottom was only slightly below the bottom edge of her shirt. She pulled her strawberry blonde hair back in a ponytail. She quickly went out to the kitchen and grabbed a healthy breakfast before returning to put the finishing touches on her makeup. Finally prepared for her day and looking quite fetching, Mimi returned to her room to grab her bag before heading out.

"I'd better hurry," said Mimi to herself after seeing the clock. "I've got less than twenty minutes before I have to meet Michael."

Mimi grabbed her bag and turned to leave when she heard a familiar noise. Her ears perked up as she tried to recognize the muffled beeping sound. Then it suddenly hit her. She realized that it was her digivice, safely tucked away in her desk drawer. She set her bag back down and went over to the desk. She swiftly removed her digivice and began to examine it. It was beeping and flashing like crazy, yet it gave no indication as to what might be wrong.

"Palmon…" said Mimi. "Something's happened…"

Without warning, the computer on Mimi's desk turned on, booting up with aberrant speed. In only a few seconds it was fully active. The Digiport screen opened up by itself, and the gate switched to active.

"Don't worry Palmon," said Mimi. "I'm on my way!"

A ghostly blue light began to pour from the screen, tearing Mimi from her own world and sending her to the digital one.

An hour later in Japan, Davis was resting after a long day of soccer practice.

"I'm beat," said Davis. "Hey Demiveemon, where'd you go?"

"I'm over here," said Demiveemon, who was sitting on Davis' desk. "I think I heard your D-terminal beep. You should check your email."

"Nah," said Davis. "It's probably Kari emailing me to tell me how great her latest date with TK was. Life just isn't fair sometimes, ya' know?"

"Fine," said Demiveemon. "But if you're not gonna' read it, then I will."

"Be my guest," said Davis with an indifferent shrug.

Demiveemon hopped over to the D-terminal. When he tried to open it, it nearly fell on top of him. Undaunted, Demiveemon flipped the contraption over so that he could open it.

"It's from Izzy," said Demiveemon upon successfully managing to get into the system. "He says that he wants to meet us all in the park right away."

"Aww man, do we have to?" asked Davis.

"Maybe he found a way to open the Digiport," suggested Demiveemon.

"But I was just getting used to the idea of having a few days off!" whined Davis.

"He also says he'll have brownies," continued Demiveemon.

"I'm there!" shouted Davis as he sprung to his feet.

A few minutes later Davis and Demiveemon reached the park where all the others were waiting for them.

"Where are the brownies?" asked Davis, practically drooling.

"There aren't any," confessed Izzy. "It was the only way that I could make sure some of you would come."

"So what's the deal then?" asked Tai.

"It's Mimi," said Izzy.

"What about her?" demanded Joe.

"I just got a message from Michael," continued Izzy. "He says that Mimi has disappeared. Now normally I might not have connected it to other recent events, but something about this has me very edgy. It seems very strange that Mimi would just disappear without a trace so suddenly less than a day after a strange occurrence in the DigiWorld. It might be nothing, but I can't dismiss the possibility that these two incidents are connected."

"Izzy, you've got to find a way to get around that seal!" said Joe. "It's the only way to know if there's a connection."

"I'm doing my best," said Izzy. "But whoever did this really took their time. We're talking the work of an absolute genius."

"I may not be as smart as I used to be," said Ken. "But I'm going to do my part. As soon as I get home, I'm going to keep working on this problem until it's solved."

"Just don't push yourself too hard," warned Upamon. "You won't do us any good if you burn yourself out."

"Don't worry," said Wormmon. "I'll take care of him."

"I'll update Michael and Willis," said Izzy. "Hopefully, someone will be able to break the code."

"I have a really bad feeling about this," said Kari. "I don't know what it is exactly, but I know that it poses a serious threat. If we don't stop whoever is behind this soon, there is going to be some very serious trouble."

"Kari's right," said TK. "There's got to be a more sinister force at work here. We need to get to the Digital World as soon as possible."

"In the mean time," said Matt. "Everyone should watch their backs. There's no telling what might happen if we're not careful."

"It's getting pretty late," said Cody, looking at his watch. "I think we should all head home for the night."

Everyone agreed and headed to their homes. Five hours later, Ken and Wormmon were the only ones still awake.

"Come on Ken," said Wormmon. "It's past midnight. You need to get some sleep."

"I'm close," said Ken as he furiously worked on his keyboard in the darkened bedroom. "I think I might be on to something here. I just need a little more time. I can practically smell the thing that left this trail."

"I'd better get the air freshener," said Wormmon.

"That won't be necessary," said Ken, smiling.

"Come on Ken," said Wormmon. "At this rate you'll work yourself to death."

"If I stop now, whatever did this might find a way to cover its tracks," said Ken. "I can't afford to take that risk."

"All right, but don't forget that you still need to sleep eventually," said Wormmon. "This can't be very healthy."

Out of nowhere, the screen went completely white. It was so bright that it was almost blinding.

"What's going on?" demanded Ken, guarding his eyes.

The speakers on his computer began to slowly crackle to life. At first, there were just a few clicks and the sound of static. As the number of these sounds increased though, Ken and Wormmon began to hear a voice.

"Don't interfere," said the strangely calm, baneful voice.

"What's going on?" asked Ken. "Who do you think you are?"

"I am… the chosen one," said the voice. "I have been selected to do what none of my predecessors could."

"You're making no sense!" shouted Ken.

"Don't interfere," repeated the unsettling voice.

"I'm not going to back down from you," said Ken. "And neither are my friends. You won't get away with whatever you're planning!"

"Such spirit…" mused the voice. "I can see why you were strong enough to provide the soil that the dark spore needed. You are a truly remarkable find…"

"Tell me who you are!" shouted Ken.

"Go back to the beginning, Ken," said the voice. "Go back…"

The voice began to chuckle menacingly as the light given off by the computer surged. When the light finally died back down, Ken and Wormmon were nowhere to be seen.


	4. Dreams and Memories

****

Day 23

"You've got a boy," sang Matt slowly as he strummed his acoustic guitar. "You got a girl, sitting underneath a tree. They sit there everyday. And even though, you may think that this is the way things should be... It may not always be that way."

Matt stood up from his chair, suddenly filled with vigor.

"You can't take nuthin' for granted," sang Matt a little louder and faster. "You've gotta' live life today! I turn around, I can see what's behind me! I turn back around, I can see what's ahead! And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around... just turn around."

Matt strummed a few more chords. He was actually pretty happy with how his acoustic version of "I Turn Around" was coming along. It was sure to be a hit; he just knew it. Hey looked over at the clock on his bedroom wall. It was four in the morning, and his dad still wasn't home.

"Man, dad," said Matt to himself. "You work too hard. You gotta' learn to take a break every now and then."

One benefit of having his dad working all the time was that Matt rarely got yelled at for practicing into the wee hours of the morning, except of course for when his neighbors started beating on the apartment door that is. Fortunately, this was not one of those nights. After he finished with his practice, Matt decided to see if there was anything on TV before heading off to bed for what remained of the night. As would be expected, he found very little. He flipped past some infomercials, the occasional early morning news report, and reruns of shows that had been popular at one time or another before finally coming to a movie that was twenty years old if it was a day. Still, Matt felt like catching a bit of it before heading off to bed. He laid way back in the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. He absentmindedly brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes as the two samurai on the TV began their poorly choreographed fight scene. Soon, Matt was yawning. His eyes grew heavier with every passing second. Unable to stave off sleep any longer, Matt succumbed to his exhaustion.

As Matt's consciousness completely disintegrated around him, he began to descend into a deep dream. Before he knew what was happening he was underwater. He forced himself to the surface, bursting out into the open air. When he looked around he saw that he was at the beach on a sunny day. He was fully dressed in his school uniform, which remained perfectly dry, and along the rocky shore he could see group of people wearing similar uniforms, but of different colors. All seemed perfectly natural to him though, given as it was a dream. Of course, this dream was unusually vivid. The coloration of everything was much more intense than it should have been. Matt could even smell the salty sea air. Moving swiftly, Matt swam to shore and pulled himself from the water. His clothes and hair remained perfectly dry and he walked swiftly and confidently over to the group of people on the beach. The first was Tai, who wore a school uniform which was white rather than green. Oddly enough, he had four eyes, all of which were purple. Beside him stood Sora, who wore an orange uniform. Like Tai, she had four eyes, but they were fiery red. Next to them stood Izzy and TK. Izzy's uniform was still green, but a slightly brighter shade. TK also wore a uniform, but it was blue. They both possessed a set of four eyes, Izzy's being green and TK's being blue. The four of them quickly moved in, surrounding Matt on all sides.

"You can-" started Tai.

"-hear our voices," finished Sora.

"Wait a minute," responded Matt.

"The battle-" said Izzy.

"-is far from-" continued Sora.

"-being complete," finished TK.

"The table has-" said Tai.

"-been prepared. And-" continued Sora.

"-the stage is-" said Izzy.

"-made ready," said TK.

"I said hold on!" shouted Matt. "Who are you guys? What do you want?"

"Our time-" started Tai.

"-is short," finished Sora.

"You need-" said TK.

"-only listen," said Izzy.

"We have called you to us," said the four of them simultaneously. "We need your aid immediately. At the present time we are unable to save ourselves."

"Why do you need me?" asked Matt.

"Not just you," said the four. "We need all of the DigiDestined. If you do not come to the Digital World in time, our greatest fear may yet be realized."

"You need us in the DigiWorld?" asked Matt. "Wait a minute, are you guys responsible for Mimi's disappearance."

"No," said the four. "That was the doing of the evil one. It has already stolen away another in your order; a particularly valuable one. Within that child lies one of the tools the creature needs to complete its mission."

"Its mission?" asked Matt.

"Please, there is not enough time to explain that," said the four. "All you need to know is that the more time you take and the more of you that are seized by the creature, the more likely it is that the creature will succeed. You must not let that happen."

"But the Digiport is sealed!" said Matt. "There's no way through!"

"You must find a way," said the four. "We are unable to help you for the time being. Come to the Digital World and free us from our captivity. Once that is done, we can take care of the rest. You must not fail us."

"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Matt.

"You have no choice," said the four.

"That's not good enough," said Matt. "For all I know you four could be the ones responsible for whatever's going on."

"Look in your heart, warrior," said the four. "You know what must be done. You know that the Digital World is in grave danger. We are not lying to you."

"Alright, I'll trust you for now," said Matt. "But you're going to have to explain exactly what is going on here."

"It is… too late now," said the four, looking suddenly weakened. "It has sensed us! Beware DigiDestined! It will come for you soon if you do not come for it…!"

Matt was unceremoniously thrust back into reality. He rolled off the couch onto the floor. The sun shone in through the windows at about nine o'clock in the morning.

"Well that was certainly a new experience…" said Matt, rubbing a bump on his head. "How long was I-"

At that very moment the phone began to ring. Matt walked over to the phone and picked it up off the receiver.

"Hello?" asked Matt.

"Matt!" shouted Tai on the other end. "We've got some bad news! It looks like whatever happened to Mimi is starting to spread and fast!"

"What's going on?" asked Matt.

"Meet in the park in five minutes!" said Tai. "And Matt… watch yourself."

"Right," said Matt, hanging up the phone.

Several minutes later, the DigiDestined had convened in the park. They all stood in a circle. Ken and Wormmon were nowhere to be seen. Matt had just finished relating the story about his dream.

"…It was really weird," said Matt. "I've never had a dream anywhere near that vivid."

"It doesn't sound like a dream to me," said Izzy. "Someone, or something in the Digital World is trying to contact us."

"Sounds to me like we don't have a second to waste," said Sora. "If Matt's right, those guys could really use our help."

"It's not that simple," said Izzy. "Not only is Ken gone, but I haven't heard a word from Willis and Michael since Mimi disappeared. I've tried emailing them both, but not a word. I think we need to assume the worst."

"Who could be doing this?!" asked Davis. "Who's out there that we haven't taken care of?"

"There's a lot of possibilities," said Yolei. "Any number of evil digimon would be happy to get rid of us."

"But why would they want to kidnap us one at a time?" asked Hawkmon.

"Those things in my dream said something about one of the others having something," said Matt. "They said that someone who's already been taken had one of the tools our enemy needs."

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Patamon.

"It could mean anything," said Cody. "But I'm willing to bet it won't be good news for us."

"So who's the one that they were referring to?" asked Joe. "Who had the most to offer our enemy?"

"What do you mean?" asked Davis.

"Well this thing obviously wanted something from one of the people that's already disappeared," said Joe. "So who has the most to offer?"

"Well," said Tai. "Unless our enemy wants to learn how to color-coordinate its lair, it's probably not Mimi."

"It might be Willis," suggested TK. "This thing might want him for a lot of reasons. He's really smart, he created a digimon once, and he has twin digimon, something that's pretty unique."

"I don't know," said Izzy. "It seems to me that our enemy is smart enough as is, I don't really see any way for knowledge of twin digimon being an important tool, and Willis' experience with making a digimon was a terrific flop."

"It could be Michael," said Kari.

"I don't see anything so special about him," said Gatomon. "At least not anything some mysterious evil force would be very interested in."

"It's gotta' be Ken!" said Veemon. "I mean, think about it! Ken was the emperor! Ken created the control spires! Ken even made Kimeramon!"

"I don't know about that," said Davis. "Ken's changed a lot. And why would this mysterious evil guy want him? It's not like we'd have any trouble beating another Kimeramon. It's not like the control spires are much of a threat any more."

"Also, Ken didn't even make the control spires himself," said Yolei. "Remember? Oikawa said that they came from the dark ocean."

"We're back to square one," said Gatomon.

"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," said Izzy. "Maybe we should-"

"Hey!" shouted Davis in a moment of sudden realization. "I've got it!"

Everyone else looked at him expectantly.

"It's got to be Ken!" shouted Davis. "Just think about it! What did Malo Myotismon want with him? What did Daemon want with him?"

Everyone just kept on looking at Davis.

"Do I have to spell it out for you guys?" asked Davis. "They both wanted the same thing! They both wanted what turned Ken into the emperor! They both wanted the dark spore!"

"Of course!" exclaimed Izzy. "How could I have been so blind? It's been the spore all along!"

"Nice work Davis!" said Yolei. "I guess you're not as dumb as you seem."

"Well, you know… Hey!" said Davis.

"Fantastic," said Tai unenthusiastically. "We've figured out what our enemy wanted. Now all we have to do is figure out who it is, how to avoid getting kidnapped by him, how to get past his seal, where he is, and how to beat him. We're on a roll now."

"Okay, there's a few details left to figure out," said Izzy. "But at least it's a start."

"Hold on," said Matt. "If this guy only wanted the dark spore, then why did he take Mimi, Michael, and Willis too? That doesn't make any sense."

"That's a tough one," said Sora. "Something tells me we're not going to find the answer until we're on the other side of that gate."

"Izzy," said Joe. "You've got to find us a way around the seal."

"I've been trying," said Izzy. "But with Ken and Willis gone, It's down to just Yolei and I trying to solve this mystery."

"Isn't there anything the rest of us can do?" asked Matt.

"Not really," said Izzy. "Since I have no idea how or why our friends are disappearing I have no advice on how to stay safe. Just be careful."

"Well that's certainly reassuring," said Davis sarcastically.

"Well it's the only advice I can offer," said Izzy. "So you can either take it or leave it."

"Well, I guess I'll take it," said Davis. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Fine then," said Izzy. "Suit yourself."

One by one, the DigiDestined dispersed, trying to go about their business as normally as possible. Of course, they all ended up looking over their shoulders constantly for the rest of the day.

Meanwhile, Ken was somewhere very far away. He was alone in a sea swirling gray. He walked forward aimlessly in a trance-like state. As he proceeded, the mass around him slowly began to form into shapes. Before he realized what was even going on, he was in the midst of a city. It was a bright, sunny day with only a few small clouds in the sky. People busily walked up and down the sidewalks as cars passed by. On Ken's right was a large, brick apartment complex. On the other side of the street lay a two-story, gray building next to a series of shops. People passed by Ken on either side, seeming to take no notice of him.

"What is this place?" asked Ken aloud. "How did I get here? Hey, where did Wormmon go?"

Suddenly realizing his friend's absence, Ken looked about frantically. His efforts quickly proved fruitless though. Ken began to run over what had happened in his mind. One minute he had been sitting at his computer, talking to what he could only assume was the force behind this latest plot, and the next minute he found himself here, in this place. Seeing few options, Ken decided to proceed forward. Perhaps he could find some indication of what had happened or where he was.

As Ken continued to walk, he began to realize that this place was very familiar. It was only a few blocks from where he lived, but it seemed somehow different. Not having any other ideas, Ken opted to head back to his house as quickly as possible; hopefully he would find answers there. Ken broke into a run, dodging around people as he passed them on the sidewalk. Finally, he was almost back home. His apartment building was on the very next block. Ken waited patiently for the light to change, but as he waited, something caught his eye. Waiting on the other side of the street was a pair of boys whom Ken recognized immediately. The first was himself, except a great deal younger, and the second was his brother.

A moment of sudden realization washed over Ken like a tidal wave. Blinded by desperation, Ken started to run, fearless of the traffic around him. The light changed when he was nearly halfway across the street. He ran faster than he ever had before in his life as Sam stepped off the curb. Ken could see the approaching car out of the corner of his eye, apparently ignorant of the red light. He threw himself forward with all his might at Sam while his brother stood frozen, like a deer in headlights. Ken thrust all his might into pushing Sam out of harm's way as he slammed his eyes tight and clenched his teeth. But the feeling did not come. Instead, Ken passed right through Sam without as much as stirring up a gentle breeze. He landed hard on the pavement next to his younger self. Both were terror-stricken as they watched the car plow through Sam with such force that he was thrown thirty feet into the air before landing behind the car that had struck him.

"Noooooooooo!!!" shrieked Ken.

Ken fought through his emotions and pushed himself forward to where his brother lay. A crowd of onlookers had quickly gathered as the stunned driver stumbled from his car. Ken kneeled over his brother. He was a truly wretched sight. His clothes were ripped and soaked in blood, his shattered glasses hung loosely from his face, his neck had been broken, and he was missing a shoe. In this case, instant death had been a blessing. The younger Ken meanwhile stood back behind the crowd, completely paralyzed by dread. As Ken knelt over his brother, everything began to fade away into total darkness. Within a few seconds, everything around him was completely black. Ken got to his feet, clearly still shaken by the experience.

"I tried to warn you," said a voice from the darkness. "Don't interfere, Kenny boy."

Slowly, the battered, bleeding, and bruised figure of Sam materialized before Ken's eyes. He stood confidently before him with a little evil sneer on his face.


	5. The Dark Crest

[Sorry this chapter took a little longer than expected, but a mix of writer's block and a heavy workload tends to slow production down. I'm trying to increase production, and I know it's hard getting so little every week, but please just bear with me until I can manage my time better. Now then, when we last left Ken, he had an unlikely encounter with his dead brother…]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Slowly, the battered, bleeding, and bruised figure of Sam materialized before Ken's eyes. He stood confidently before him with a little evil sneer on his face.

"S-Sam?" asked Ken very apprehensively.

"Who else would it be?" asked Sam, readjusting his broken glasses.

"I… I just can't believe it," said Ken. "How could you… How is this possible?"

"Oh Kenny, you were always naïve," said Sam. "So weak. You lost sight of what real power is."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ken.

"Simply put, this is possible because I make it possible," said Sam. "That is the power that I now possess."

"Power?" asked Ken.

"Can't you feel it?" asked Sam, looking very pleased. "It's so… incredible. Not even you know the feeling that courses through my veins, even when you were at your zeal."

"You're talking in riddles," said Ken.

"It's very simple," said Sam. "I now have the same kind of power you possessed as the emperor, only far more potent. The surging energies are indescribable. It's like nothing I've ever experienced."

"You've got to be kidding!" exclaimed Ken. "That power is pure evil! It's monstrous! You can't let yourself be consumed by it Sam! Fight it! Don't give in!"

"What makes you think I want to fight it?" asked Sam. "You surrendered your power, but I won't. I'm too smart for that."

"No…" said Ken forlornly. "You… this can't be you."

"I can help you Ken," said Sam as he placed his hand on Ken's shoulder. "I can answer your questions. I can tell you exactly what happened."

"You… can?" asked Ken.

"Of course," said Sam. "I can tell you everything you need to know."

"No…" said Ken. "No! You're not Sam! Sam could never become evil like you! I'll never be like that again and I won't allow it to happen to you!"

"Oh please," said Sam. "You actually consider me evil? Oh, if it were only as simple as that. You don't get that there is no line between good and evil. The world isn't black and white; right and wrong; good and evil. It's all one shade of gray. In the end, it's your own prejudices that make you think I'm evil. You don't see me for what I truly am, for what I represent. You don't see that we are all working towards the same end. You knew, in very limited terms, what that end was at one point. But then you lost your perfection; you became weak; you became one of _them_."

"I was saved by them," said Ken. "I was evil when I was the emperor."

"You only think so because they told you so," said Sam. "They have destroyed just as many digimon as you did. Digimon like Devimon and Etemon, The Dark Masters, and Myotismon on THREE separate occasions all fell to them, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In the end, you can see how good and evil are both the same."

"But… but we were only trying to save innocent lives," said Ken, clearly shaken. "Those evil digimon had to be killed; there was no other way."

"Think about it Ken," said Sam. "Though their tactics might differ a bit, both 'good' and 'evil' as you call them are seeking the same goal. Join with me and I can restore your perfection, Ken. Join with me and you can help to achieve what all forces in the Digital World have been striving for, for over a millennia."

"You're not Sam at all, are you?" asked Ken with tears in his eyes. "Who are you?! Tell me!"

"No, I suppose I'm not your dearly departed brother," said Sam. "But this IS the form your mind chose for me. I find it rather befitting. But now if we are almost done, I can make you an offer. That spore that you still carry within you is very much alive. It is lying dormant for now, but it can be reawakened. Back when it remained in power, Malo Myotismon intentionally kept its true potential suppressed, as he feared it would grow even stronger than he was. It never reached more than 30% capacity. I on the other hand do not fear the spore's power. I choose to embrace it, to be caressed by its shear might. I would hope that you would choose to do the same."

"Never!" shouted Ken as his eyes washed over with tears. "You can't make me go back!"

"Come on Ken," said Sam, leaning in closer. "I know you can still hear it. It echoes deep inside your mind. You can still hear _his_ voice. There is no escaping it. You know that when we reach our goal, there will finally be order. There will be no more needless deaths. I'm sure that your brother and Mr. Oikawa would have appreciated that order. I'm sure they would have preferred to live. And let's not forget your friend, Wormmon. He sacrificed himself out of his own weakness, out of fear of what he considered 'evil'. You were lucky to get a second chance with him, don't blow it Kenny boy."

"I… I don't know what I…" sobbed Ken, choking on his own spit.

"Do you remember Ken?" asked Sam. "Can you remember the power you felt when you released your darker side against Daemon? The power in you is enough to banish even the most powerful digimon from your sight! And I am the only one who can help you to feel that power again!"

"I don't want to be afraid," said Ken. "I don't want to see anyone else get hurt. I… I just want everything to be alright again."

"Join me Ken," said Sam. "I can make you strong again. I can make you perfect. And together, you and I will have all the power we need to realize that which has been our dream for ages. We have hungered for this day Ken, and now it rests on your shoulders to accept your fate. Do you want order? Do you want perfection?"

"…No…" whispered Ken.

"No?!" demanded Sam.

"That's right," said Ken, seeming to gain strength again. "I'm not going to help you! You can't make me, and you certainly can't stop the others! You will not win!"

"So be it…" said Sam, his eyes filling with rage. "This would have been easier and much less painful had you cooperated, but I can't let you simply refuse me. You will bend to my will whether you like it or not!"

Sam's entire body was cast in shadows as he removed a crest from around his neck. The demonic red light that poured from the vile crest cast a fiery din over Sam's figure. The crest itself was in the shape of three triangles swirled together like a cyclone with the points meeting in the middle. Upon revealing the crest, a strong wind picked up from beneath Ken, causing his hair to flail wildly around him. A severe pain ran up and down his spine as a small point on the back of his neck matched the glow of the crest. Ken cried out in agony, overcome by terrible pain and hatred.

"Give in to me, human," said Sam. "Only I can take the pain away now."

Ken was entirely illuminated in a red glow that seemed to spring from the ground beneath him. The wind blew so strong on him that he was nearly forced right off the ground. His muscles tensed and his face was filled with terrible suffering.

"Surrender, or I'll be forced to kill you," said Sam indifferently.

"…N-n-n…" struggled Ken.

"Something you wanted to say?" asked Sam.

"Never!" screamed Ken, suddenly causing the wind around him to disperse, blowing Sam back a few feet.

Ken looked at Sam with eyes like flaming daggers. Before Sam had recovered, Ken rushed at him, brutally kicking him in the stomach and causing him to double over in pain. Ken didn't stop there though. A swift kick to the face knocked Sam on his back. Ken pounced on him, closing his hands tightly around Sam's neck and trying to crush it as hard as he could. After a few seconds though, a wave of reddish energy shot from Sam, knocking Ken away. When Ken stood up again, he saw Sam floating in front of him, a devilish smile smeared across his face.

"I knew you still had it in you," said Sam. "Your cruelty is as strong as ever Ken. And now, your crest has fallen. Cruelty has won against kindness, and now you will bow to myself and to the Crest of Corruption that I bear! Welcome home, emperor…"

****

Day 24

Another day came for the DigiDestined, and once again they had all agreed to meet in the middle school computer lab once school was out. It was an overcast day with almost no wind. A strange feeling lingered in the air all day long. One by one they gathered in the small room that looked out over the virtually abandoned campus. However, it once again seemed that their numbers were steadily decreasing. 

"This is getting worse," grumbled Tai.

"No kidding," said TK.

"Who's disappeared now?" asked Joe, who had just arrived.

"Sora and Matt," said Cody.

"Any leads on how it happened?" asked Izzy.

"Well I was with Matt at the time," said TK. "We were just hangin' out at his place, playing video games and stuff. I went to the kitchen to grab a snack and when I came back he was just gone. I swear I couldn't have been gone more than three minutes and I didn't hear a sound. It was just so… strange."

"Sora and I were supposed to meet to do our homework together," said Tai. "We agreed to meet at her place, but when I got there no one was home. I got someone who knew me to let me in and I headed up to her apartment. The door was unlocked, the TV and stereo were on, and there was a bag of chips left lying out. Normally that last thing wouldn't throw me, but Sora is such a neat-freak. She'd never leave all that stuff like that before going out, but she was nowhere to be found."

"Our little problem is getting more serious every day," said Joe with a grimace.

"Please tell me you're close, Izzy," pleaded Cody.

"Like I said, it's only a matter of time," said Izzy. "I just wish I knew how much. I'm not gonna' lie. I don't know what has happened to our friends, but it can't be good. Unless we can hurry, the same will happen to us."

"I knew this would happen," said Kari despondently. "I knew there was something very wrong, but I didn't say anything. It's my fault."

"Don't talk like that Kari," said TK. "Even if you had said something it probably wouldn't have made a difference. There's no way we could've prepared for what's going on."

"Besides, there's no time for regrets," said Izzy. "I'm going to be taking a leave of absence from school until I find us a way though the gate. My advice to you guys is to stick together at all times. It seems that our friends only disappear when they're alone, so I'm willing to bet that there's safety in numbers."

"I'm really scared," said Yolei. "What'll happen if we can't solve this mystery before we all disappear? Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?"

"Just try to stay where there's lots of people," warned Izzy. "Other than that, I-"

Before Izzy could get out another word, the computer behind him sparked to life, shining a brilliant white light over him. Izzy felt himself being yanked back by the strong force of the computer, but he was saved at the last moment. Tai threw the full weight of his body into Izzy, tossing him out of harm's way, but sacrificing himself to do so. Davis had been cleaning his goggles, but he jumped up instinctively, dropping them on the ground. Tai grabbed at the air as his legs slid into the computer screen. Davis locked arms with Tai, stopping him just in time.

"Don't let go!" shouted Tai as he struggled against the computer.

"Hey guys!" shouted Davis. "Help me out!"

TK grabbed Davis' waist, and Kari grabbed onto TK. Izzy was still on the floor, but Joe, Yolei and Cody all grabbed onto TK and Davis, helping to pull Tai out. However, their efforts were clearly failing.

"I'm coming Davis!" shouted Demiveemon as he leaped onto his partner's back to help him pull. Suddenly, Davis' shoes slipped and Tai was gone, but Davis was now buried shoulder-deep in the computer himself.

"Help me!" shouted Davis.

There was nothing the others could do though. One at a time, their grips began to give out. Finally, only TK and Demiveemon still held Davis, with TK gripping Davis' belt and Demiveemon holding a leg. Davis' face was under an inch away from the screen and he was sweating bullets. The others all held TK, but his grip was failing too.

"Don't worry!" shouted Demiveemon. "I gotcha' covered! Demiveemon digivolve to-!"

Before Demiveemon could complete his digivolve though, TK's grip failed, causing the entire group to fall backwards. Davis was pulled through the gate along with Demiveemon, who still held his leg.

Those that remained all just stared at the computer from the ground. The monitor flipped off, and everything seemed perfectly normal.

"So that's how it happens…" mused Izzy. "Prodigious."

They all slowly stood up again, dazed by the experience. Very cautiously, Kari approached the place where Davis had been sitting just a few moments earlier, cleaning his goggles. The goggles lay on the floor. Upon closer inspection, she could see that a long crack ran through the center of the right lens.

Back in the DigiWorld, underneath the ever-expanding gaze of a cloud that cast eternal night over everything it touched, an ancient base was once again running at its full capacity. Hundreds of Tankmon and Gardromon patrolled the halls while Datamon and Hagurumon performed assorted tasks. Groups of Mekanorimon, Clockmon, Giramon, Metalmamemon, and even a pair of Metaltyrannomon and an Andromon could be found wandering the premises. Outside, at the entrance, a sandstorm whipped around a tall, thin man in a black cloak with blue lining. His face was hidden beneath his hood, and he seemed to exude evil.

"Halt," said a Mekanorimon at the door. "What is your business here?"

"I will not be questioned by such inconsequential creatures," said the man in a low, raspy voice.

The Mekanorimon's power systems suddenly overloaded all at once without warning, sending out sparks and smoke. The now disabled mechanical digimon slumped back against the wall of the facility as the man proceeded through the door without missing a beat. He proceeded into the rank depths of the complex, walking forward with precise knowledge of where to go. In another ten minutes, he reached the control room and stepped through the door. Datamon were hastily working at the computers along the walls while one figure stood in the middle of the room, working at the center console.

"I take it you're too busy to welcome an honored guest," said the man in the black robes.

"I didn't expect to see you again," said the figure at the center console without turning to face his visitor. "Has the Vanguard lost so much faith in me?"

"Let's just say that you've proven yourself to be… unreliable," said the man. "I'm here to deliver a message: this is your last chance. Failure and death are now the same for you."

"You're bluffing," said the figure. "We both know that you need me a lot more than I need you."

"Wrong," said the man. "There is another to take your place. The only reason you've had this many opportunities is simply that he is not ready to come to us yet. Your bumbling has cost the project years. Either the DigiDestined die, or you do."

"Sir!" said a Datamon. "We've confirmed three new acquisitions. Two humans and a digimon."

"You know where the digimon goes," said the figure. "What about crests?"

"Courage and Miracles," said Datamon. "Both are very strong. This could be a challenge."

"It should prove a simple task for me," said the figure. "They shall all fall to my might."

"You have no reason to be overconfident," sad the man. "Remember, we're watching you, and we do not like what we see. We have already lost one of our ancient order for you, and it was a high price to pay. We will not be paying it again."

"Relax; you guys at the Vanguard take things WAY too seriously."

The man's eyes filled with rage and he moved to grab his subordinate, maybe even kill him. However, that came to a stop when the figure spun around, the white digiegg in his hands. The man stopped in his tracks, backing away nervously.

"Why do you keep that thing?" asked the man. "It can do our cause no good."

"I keep it to keep you guys at bay," said the figure. "Now unless you are looking for some trouble, you had better skulk back to your brethren."

"This will not be forgotten," said the man, regaining his composure. "Even if you succeed this time, your fate is sealed."

"Hardly," said the figure with an evil smile. "With this in my possession, even _he_ will have to do what I say."

"You'll regret this course of action," said the man as he turned to go. "You're just like your younger brother. Rogues like you have no place among us."

"When my reign comes, you'll be the first to die," said the figure.

The man walked out of the base, the haunting laughter of the shadowy figure nipping at his heels.


	6. Solitary Confinement

[Another chapter up. Please be sure to look for the pic of =Metaldracomon= now available.]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As all this went on, Matt found himself in an unlikely situation. He stood in the living room of a small apartment. The wallpaper was faded and peeling, the light bulbs were all broken in their sockets, the carpeted floor was dingy and gray, with large white patches that showed there had been furniture over it for years. Everything seemed to be in dull, dark shades of blue and gray. Outside the window, Matt could see nothing but a dull, gray city with heavy cloud-cover. An occasional pillar of sunlight would break through the clouds at an angle, sweeping over whatever lay in its path for a few seconds before being concealed again by the ominous clouds. Matt could see that a fine layer of dust sat over everything in the virtually empty apartment. Cobwebs decorated the nooks and crannies of the room, and all was perfectly still.

"H-hello?" asked Matt, who was very unnerved by this place.

Matt gingerly took a step forward. This apartment was so familiar, and yet he couldn't remember having ever been here. As he took his first step, he could hear a strange echo-like whisper in the back of his mind. It was completely incomprehensible, but it was clearly quite real. This made Matt even more wary. He started to shake just a bit, his eyes darting back and forth nervously. His mouth was dry, and the air grew colder and increasingly stale. Even though all was silent, it seemed as though an unbearably loud noise was bearing down on him. The sound of Matt's heart beating was like a thunderous drum in his head.

"Who's there?" asked Matt, feigning confidence.

Again, Matt heard the whispering noise. It was like the rustling of leaves on an autumn day. It was slightly louder and clearer than it had been before. Matt turned to his left, where a narrow alcove led to the two bedrooms. He stepped into the first bedroom on his right. The room was as empty and dull as the rest of the house with a small window on the opposite wall. For a minute, Matt thought he saw something; like an afterimage or a shadow. In the brief instant that he had seen it, it appeared to be… furniture. Matt had seen the room as if an image of it fully-furnished had been superimposed over his vision for a moment. At that point, the hairs on Matt's neck stood on end. He heard the whisper again, but this time he could almost make it out. It sounded like someone sobbing. Matt's sense of familiarity with this place was growing, and he didn't like that one bit.

Matt began to feel very nauseous, and quickly fled from the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Matt found himself leaning back against the door with beads of sweat sliding down his forehead. As he headed back to the living room, a sight appeared before him that he could not have expected. The drab, gray living room remained, yet a translucent image seemed to overlay it. An old, brown couch sat in the center of the room next to a coffee table and an overstuffed chair. The couch sat opposite a TV. Several plants hung from the ceiling and stood in the corners, and they were translucent just like the furniture. There were also a few stools in the kitchen area and the occasional painting on the wall. An ashtray sat on the kitchen counter with a fresh cigarette butt in it. Matt could smell the smoke, something that always made him a little lightheaded. Matt heard the distinctive sound of a lighter being flicked on, followed by a satisfied sigh.

"Dammit," said a voice Matt quickly recognized as his mother's. "I thought you were going to lay off those things."

Slowly, the translucent figures of Matt's parents appeared in front of him. His mom was in the kitchen while his dad stood in the living room, smoking a fresh cigarette."

"I had a tough day, Nancy," said Matt's dad.

"You know it's not healthy," said Matt's mom. "Besides, I don't want our boys to be exposed to that disgusting habit."

"It's not disgusting," snapped Matt's dad. "Besides, the boys are in bed already."

"Oh, well out of sight out of mind I guess," said Nancy sarcastically. "You're a real piece of work."

"Hey, I don't have to take this!" said Matt's dad, raising his voice. "I work hard all day long and THIS is the-"

"Can't you come up with a new routine?!" asked Matt's mother. "What do you think I'm doing all day; watching TV?! I work just as hard as you do!"

"Oh yeah, sounds like it," said Matt's father. "I can't decide which sounds more brutal: the shopping or the cooking. Judging by dinner tonight, I doubt you put much effort into the latter."

"Oh now you've really crossed the line!" said Nancy, enraged. "I slaved all day long just trying to keep us afloat and you complain because dinner's a little bland! That's so-!"

"Well if it weren't for me, there'd be no money to stay afloat with!"

"In case you didn't notice, I was on my way to becoming a real journalist until YOU came along! I stayed home to watch the kids because SOMEONE had to!"

"You're the one that wanted them so bad in the first place! I just wanted a dog! If I'd had my way we could both keep our jobs!"

"Are you saying you never wanted Matt and TK?! You don't love them?!"

"Of course I love them! It's just that I think we should have waited a little while longer!"

Matt felt sick to his stomach. It was all clear to him now. This was the apartment he had lived in before his parents had split up, and this was the night that had changed everything for him. Matt turned away, his eyes burning at the brink of tears. In front of him he saw the younger version of himself, clad in a baggy pair of pajamas and unnoticed by his parents.

"No, look away," said Matt to his young duplicate. "Turn around! Shut your eyes! Cover your ears!"

Of course, the younger Matt wasn't even aware of his older self. He just kept on watching his parents argue.

"Nancy I'm sick and tired of this!" shouted Matt's father, raising a finger to his wife. "I've sacrificed myself for this family. I've worked my hands to the bone for us, and I deserve just a little bit of respect for it!"

"What about me?!" demanded Matt's mom. "You NEVER show me any respect! I deserve it just as much as you, but I do I get it?! No!"

"I've shown you nothing but respect since the day I met you!" yelled Matt's father. "From the second I wake up to the moment I go to sleep I respect you!"

"It would help if you showed it!" screamed Nancy, raising a finger up to her husband. "And while we're hovering around the subject, I'd also like to hear just once in a while that you ACTUALLY appreciate me!"

"Don't you dare point your finger at me!" shouted Mat's dad, grabbing Mrs. Ishida by the wrist.

Mrs. Ishida responded instantly by striking her husband across the face hard. He released her, holding his own face, which had been cut by Nancy's wedding ring. Without thinking, Mr. Ishida reciprocated, decking his wife with a heavy-handed blow. She fell to the kitchen floor, momentarily stunned. The younger version of Matt gasped, eyes wide. A moment later though, he scampered back to his room as Matt just looked on in horror. A second later, Mr. Ishida realized what he had done. His face softened and he knelt down over his wife, offering his hand to her. She shoved his hand away, standing up on her own very shakily.

"Nancy, I-"

Matt's mother stormed past her husband, barely able to hold back the flood of tears. She went to her room and slammed the door behind her. Matt's father just stood looking at the door, trembling as the sounds of his wife sobbing began to waft over to him. Matt's father, moving very slowly and unsteadily, grabbed his car keys, put out his cigarette, and left. Matt was left alone in that gloomy room, watching the shadowy memories disappear, leaving the room bare and gray once again.

Matt had spent years trying to forget that night. Now he was thrust back into it with enough force to tear down each and every mental wall he had set up. This had been the night that his life changed forever. His mother and father had been in screaming matches for months leading up to that night. Matt didn't see his father again until nearly three weeks had gone by. When he did turn up again, he was met at the door with divorce papers. Matt was never the same after that incident.

Matt suddenly found his vision beginning to blur. He wasn't even aware that he had been crying. The pain he felt deep within himself was simply overwhelming. He slumped against the wall, staring off into space. The sadness was so deep, so penetrating that it felt as though his heart would explode. He made a vow to himself, just like he had done that night so long ago, that he would NEVER allow someone else to hurt him like that again. It was simply too painful to deal with. He would never get close to anyone ever again, because they would just end up leaving him too. He wouldn't risk that ever again. He would never run the risk of feeling that pain ever again. It was then that he saw a glowing blue shape lying on the floor a few feet away. He reached over and picked it up, realizing it to be the Crest of Friendship. As he looked at it though, the crest began to change in both shape and color. It was soon glowing forest green, and it was now in the form of a small circle with a larger circle lying around the outside, like a barrier. Matt could sense an incredibly powerful wave of loneliness wash over him.

"What… what is this?" asked Matt.

"What else could it be?" asked a dark, powerful voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "It is the Crest of Solitude."

Back in the darkened command center of the underground base, the shadowy figure looked over the work of his soldiers.

"Well?" asked the figure. "Is he…?"

"Analyzing," said a Hagurumon at one of the side consoles. "Individual strength registers at 155. That score is impressive alone, but the crest amplification ratio is a whopping 6:1. Still, it falls well below what the Vanguard asked us for."

"Damn," said the figure. "I don't see why they even need this data. They should know that I won't fail again."

"What should be done?" asked Hagurumon.

"Put him with the others," said the figure. "We have the crest. I believe that I can make use of such a powerful device."

"Should we load in the next subject?' asked Hagurumon.

"Of course," said the figure, turning to leave. "Keep me apprised of the status. I'll be down at the holding cells."

"Yes sir!" said all the workers in the command center.

The figure stepped through the door and began heading down the dark hallways.

"This is insulting," whispered the figure to himself. "Why do they still keep secrets from me? Why do they want the data from these children? The crests are so much more powerful, and yet I can have them while _they_ want the data on a single child! It doesn't make sense! How do they expect me to find this chosen one anyway?! No human can sustain that level of power! They have me on a wild goose chase here!"

The figure continued walking until he came to a thick, steel door. After punching in a sequence of numbers on a nearby keypad, the door unlocked, revealing a dank hallway. On both sides was a seemingly endless line of thick doors with narrow window slats. The figure proceeded confidently for five doors or so. Turning to the door on his right, he looked in through the window.

"Hello, old friend," said the figure.

A stirring could be heard from within the cell.

"That's right, come to daddy," said the figure.

There was a low growl from within, followed by more sounds of a creature shifting its weight around.

"Is this any way to treat me?" asked the figure. "Now come show me your face."

The figure could see nothing within the cell, but he knew that the creature had come up to the window; he could feel its sour breath on his face.

"Good boy," said the figure. "How are you enjoying your accommodations?"

There was another low growl, inches from the figure's face.

"Glad to hear it," said the figure with a vindictive smile.

Suddenly the creature began to bang against the door VERY hard, forcing the figure to take a step back. Eyes peered through the narrow windows of the other cells to see what was going on.

"I see you're a bit feisty today," said the figure. "I'm glad you still have that fighting spirit."

The creature continued to thrash around in its small cell, clawing at the walls, seeking an escape.

"Just relax, my friend," said the figure. "I know you're anxious but the end is still a few days away. You'll finally get to see my ultimate victory."

The creature slammed its face against the tiny window, trying to bite at the figure, but unable to get much of its face through the small opening.

"Tsk, tsk," scolded the figure playfully.

"Hungry…" said the beleaguered creature. "FEED NOW!"

"You know I can't risk that."

"NEED DATA!" said the creature, growing increasingly agitated.

"Sounds like you need to calm down…" said the figure, retrieving the Crest of Corruption from around his neck.

The crest began to glow with its demonic light and the creature inside the cell immediately recoiled in fear, retreating to the far corner of the room. The glow of the crest intensified and the creature's tortured screams could be heard throughout the base. The cries of sheer agony were ignored by all but the figure, which looked on with sadistic pleasure.

"Satisfied?" asked the figure, returning his crest to his neck a few minutes later.

The figure headed back towards the command center as the wretched creature lay in the corner of its tiny room, its hands clasped over its face.

"Destroy…" muttered the creature.


	7. Cowardice and Courage

****

Day 25

Morning again. It was a beautiful day out as TK walked towards the Kamiyas' apartment on the way to school. His backpack was slung over his shoulder, hiding Patamon within it.

"You suppose anyone else is gone?" asked Patamon.

"I don't know," replied TK. "I just don't know."

"They better not even THINK about coming after us," said Patamon. "I'd be right there at your side kicking some evil butt."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said TK with a smile.

A few more minutes of walking passed. TK got to the apartment building and headed for the elevator.

"Are we there yet?" asked Patamon as TK waited patiently for the elevator.

"Hold on," said TK. "Just need to get upstairs."

"Good," said Patamon. "You wouldn't believe how cramped it can get in here!"

"Hey!" said TK. "If anyone should be complaining it's me! You got to lay off the doughnuts buddy!"

The elevator arrived and TK stepped on. The doors closed behind him as he pressed the button.

"Well if I didn't have to ride around in your backpack all this time then we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

"Oh yeah," brilliant plan," said TK sarcastically. "The only problem we'd have then would be the fact that people would run screaming if they saw you."

"I don't see why. I think I'm kinda' cute."

"I don't care if you make an adorable little kitten look like a pile of puke; people get freaked out when they see digimon."

"That sure doesn't seem very fair," huffed Patamon. "I still don't see why we have to stay hidden. Why can't humans understand that we aren't all bad?"

"I don't know," said TK. "Probably has something to do with how the world was nearly destroyed several times over thanks to all the evil digimon that have shown up here."

"It can't possibly be that many."

"Oh really? Let's see… there's Greymon and Parrotmon, Myotismon and everyone else that showed up four years ago, Diaboromon, the hundreds of digimon that showed up during Christmas, Arukenimon and Mummymon, Myotismon AGAIN, Armagemon, and let's not forget Protomon."

"Wow, I guess I had lost count," said Patamon.

About then, the elevator came to a stop and the door slid open. TK stepped out and headed down the outdoor walkway towards his girlfriend's apartment. He rapped his knuckles against the door and was welcomed in by Kari a few seconds later. Once inside, Patamon hopped out of TK's backpack, flying over to the counter where Gatomon sat, eating on a bowl of cereal.

"Morning Kari," said TK.

Kari gave TK a hug, saying, "Morning."

They both sat down at the table.

"So Kari," said TK. "Did you tell your parents about Tai?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Kari. "They'd freak out if I told them what happened! The last thing they need to hear is that Tai is missing somewhere in the Digital World and whatever has him is coming after the rest of us. I just told them that he decided to stay with some friends for a few days. Unfortunately, that excuse won't hold out for very long."

"Yeah, I told my dad that Matt got a gig in Osaka and he'd be gone for a little while," said TK. "Listen Kari, I want you to know that if there's any trouble you can count on me."

"Thanks TK, but I think I can handle myself alright. The thing about all this that has really been bothering me is the uncertainty, the not knowing what's out there. When you're around though, that all seems to disappear."

"I don't want you to worry," said TK "No matter what happens, I'll be there for you."

"Thanks," said Kari, smiling. "We'd better get going; we don't want to be late."

"Right," said TK.

"Just let me grab my books," said Kari as she stood up and walked back into her bedroom.

TK sat for a moment, strumming his fingers on the table. Gatomon and Patamon made chitchat as they waited for Kari. After a few seconds, TK got up and shouldered his bag.

"Coming Kari?" he shouted.

"Just a second," Kari replied.

TK then heard a beeping noise from his bag. He reached in and pulled out his D-3, which was going crazy. It suddenly dawned on him what was happening, and he dove at Kari's room just as a brilliant white light flooded over it. TK ran inside, reaching for Kari, who was already being pulled away. Her face was filled with terrible fear and longing for someone to protect her. She reached out her right hand, as did TK. They tried to latch onto each other as best as they could, but TK's grip lacked enough stability, and she rapidly slipped from his hand. As her arm pulled away from his, his fingers caught the small silver bracelet around her wrist that he had given her a few days earlier. The clasp broke away, and Kari was pulled away from TK. The computer flicked itself off.

TK stared straight ahead as Patamon and Gatomon rushed to his side. The small, silver bracelet dangled in his hand as he fell to his knees in utter shock. Kari was gone, maybe forever. He'd failed to do what he had promised. He had sworn to himself that that he would protect Kari until the very end, but now he had failed. Kari was gone.

Without warning, TK's D-terminal gave out a beep, indicating he had mail. Patamon, knowing TK was in no state to respond to it, grabbed the terminal out of TK's bag and flipped it open. After he and Gatomon had finished scanning over the message he offered it to TK. TK's eyes looked over the message, his face hardening as he did so.

"There's still a chance," said TK with grim determination.

TK had that look in his eyes again. It was that same look he had every time he had a job to do and only he could do it. Whenever his face looked like that, everyone knew that he had grown tough as nails. It was the look he had worn when he went off to face the emperor on his own. And now, he wore it as he went in search of Kari. He moved over to the desk and grabbed the broken goggles from it, stuffing them into his pocket. TK then ran out the door with Patamon and Gatomon in hot pursuit. School would have to wait for another day; now the remaining DigiDestined were going to the Digital World.

As this went on, Tai found himself in a cold, steel hallway. A single Hagurumon floated along behind him, giving him frequent shoves. A trail of blood trickled down the side of his mouth, and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. When he walked he wobbled from side to side. His exhaustion was quite evident. He felt like he had been without food or sleep for weeks, although in reality it had only been less than a day. Whatever had been done, it had left him tired, hungry, and weak. Normally he would have never taken this kind of abuse, but his will had been broken. His courage had been sapped away and replaced with an ever-present anxiety; a fear; a dread that would not cease. His confidence was gone. Finally he came to a heavy door on the left side of the dank hall. The door had a small window at eye-level and a strong locking mechanism, much like the other doors in this particular hallway. The door swung open with a creak, and Tai could make out other beings in that small room. It was so dark that he couldn't tell who they were, but he doubted they would be friendly.

"Get in there!" said the Hagurumon gruffly as he shoved Tai forward.

The old Tai would have instantly turned back around and slugged Hagurumon in his big ugly face, but that felt like a lifetime ago. Instead, Tai just lay there as the door closed behind him. After a few seconds he sat up, scooting back against the wall next to the door. Swirling images still plagued his mind from what he had been through. The terrifying roars of Skullgreymon still filled his ears.

The images hung in Tai's mind, mocking him, laughing at him. Tai's past mistakes, those that he had never been able to bring himself to totally forgive himself for, had returned to him. They had haunted the back of his mind, some of them for years. But only now had they been forced back into the light. He lay in the darkness, craving peace; seeking to purge his mind of the painful memories that had taken over his every thought.

It was hard for him to begin to explain what he had been through. At first it was like a dream. Slowly, his memories returned to him. There was the horrible mistake he had made that resulted in the creation of Skullgreymon. There was the numerous fights he had been through with Matt, including the brutal one that had nearly cost them both their lives. Pitting Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon against each other had almost ended in their defeat at their own hands. There was of course the whole thing with the Emperor. He had been rendered virtually useless as a DigiDestined without Agumon. 

This weighed particularly heavily on Tai's conscience. He couldn't help drawing the conclusion that all his courage, all his strength, and all his leadership had come from having one of the strongest partner digimon. This had proven one of the most crushing blows to Tai's ego. His will had very nearly been obliterated.

Of course it didn't end there. There was the loss of Agumon to the Emperor. Then it was his uselessness in the fight against Malo Myotismon. But all of that wasn't the worst there was. As the experience progressed, the memories that surfaced grew deeper and more painful. They revealed to him all the times that he had failed in his most sacred charge.

Ever since Tai was very young, he had felt a sense of being the one who was supposed to protect his sister. She meant everything to him. He never wanted to hurt her. He never wanted to see her go through anything bad. He only wanted the best for her in life; but actions and desires are two completely separate things. Tai began to remember all the ways in which he had failed to protect Kari. There was the time he'd brought her outside even though she was sick; the time he couldn't protect her from the rampaging Parrotmon; the time she'd fallen into Myotismon's clutches because he didn't trust himself to protect her, trusting Matt instead. Then there was the time she'd fallen ill shortly before the battle with Machinedramon, nearly dying; the time he'd been turned into a key-chain by Piedmon; the many, MANY times he'd been unable to do anything since the Emperor first arrived. Of course, there was the time she'd been taken to the dark ocean. Tai hadn't even been aware that anything was wrong, and yet TK, her soon-to-be boyfriend, was acutely in-tune with her feelings. He'd picked up on something Tai hadn't. Tai hated to admit it, but TK was better at safeguarding Kari than Tai would ever be.

Tai felt so inadequate, so useless. He had lost his confidence, and his courage had been left in shreds, leaving only a powerful fear behind. The anxiety that Tai felt down to his very core was terrifying. It was the complete opposite of the good and strength that he felt every time he had to face a problem head-on. He was afraid.

It was about then that he had awakened, lucky to have his sanity more-or-less intact. He had lashed out upon waking up, striking out at the first thing that came near. He had kicked a Hagurumon right in the jaw. The Hagurumon had replied with a savage blow to Tai's face, resulting in his present state. Now Tai found himself in a dark room. The sound of a leaky pipe could be heard in the distance. Muffled sounds of movement in other cells echoed throughout the long row of holding pens. Tai had never felt so alone.

"Why isn't it working?!" shouted the mysterious figure who loomed behind a Datamon.

The poor Datamon just continued typing at the console as rapidly as he could, trying to figure out what went wrong.

"It's really weird, sir," said Datamon. "Despite our best efforts there have been absolutely no results!"

"How can that be?!" shouted the figure.

"The machine feeds off fear, anxiety, worry, sadness…" said Datamon. "I never thought I'd see it, but this human seems devoid of all of those emotions. If I didn't know better, I'd swear its brain was as empty as a barrel of political promises."

"This is no time for levity," scolded the figure. "This child has the strongest crest we've seen thus far besides my own. Are you telling me that our technique can't work on it?!"

"I'm afraid not, sir," said Datamon.

"Then I'll just have to handle the situation personally," said the figure. "No one can resist my crest. No one…"

"I'm sorry sir, but not even that will work," said Datamon nervously.

"And why not?!" asked the figure with a hint of irritation.

"Well, for the same reason," said the Datamon, cringing in fear. "You can't corrupt someone if there's nothing dark already there. Your influence would be wasted on this child."

"Blast…" said the figure. "A crest amplification ratio of nearly 10:1 and we can't have it."

"Well look at the bright side," said Datamon. "At least this isn't the child the Vanguard wants. I mean, c'mon, its individual strength didn't even break 100."

"That's not the point!" said the figure. "The Vanguard is meaningless now! I will destroy the DigiDestined this time myself. The Vanguard's plans will not be necessary once I claim victory, which would be a great deal easier if I had that crest!"

"Uh… er… I…" stammered the Datamon, who was clearly uncertain about the course his life would take over the next few minutes.

"Sir!" called a female Datamon from the other side of the room.

"What?!" shouted the figure.

"We're receiving a status report from Assault Force Alpha," said the Datamon.

"You got lucky this time," whispered the figure, before he strode across the command center to the other Datamon.

"They have surveyed the attack zone," said the female Datamon. "The main attack will come from the south while containment groups are posted every 100 yards along the perimeter."

"Are you certain they know what their target is?" asked the figure.

"You know better than I do," said the Datamon. "You are the one who gave your orders directly to the commander. I would assume he passed those orders down to his troops."

"Don't be too certain," said the figure. "I've been sensing fluctuations in his mind. My hold on him is not as strong as I would like. I fear that further measures may need to be taken to insure his loyalty."

"Then why, may I ask, do you keep him in a position of such power?" asked Datamon.

"Simple," the figure replied. "He's the strongest fighter in my entire legion. Of course, there's also a little revenge mixed in there too. What better way to make him pay than to make him serve me?"

"Excellent point sir," said Datamon. "Shall I tell them to begin the attack?"

"Naturally," the figure said. "Tell them to seize the targets… and then burn the city to the ground. No survivors."

"Right away, sir!" saluted the Datamon.

Back in Japan, the remaining DigiDestined had gathered in Izzy's apartment. All that remained now were TK, Cody, Yolei, Joe, and Izzy. They all carried whatever supplies they had managed to gather in their backpacks. Yolei, of course, had supplied a large quantity of food from her parents' store, prompting the digimon to paw at her backpack pleadingly.

"So how exactly is this plan of yours supposed to work?" asked Yolei.

"It's very simple," Izzy remarked. "Actually, no… it's needlessly complicated. I suppose we could have just as easily done this without meeting up at my place, but you know I…"

"…But you just love giving long boring speeches in excruciating detail," said Upamon.

"Well, I guess," said Izzy. "I wonder why that is? Maybe I should-"

"Get on with it!" shouted all the others at once.

"Um, right," Izzy said. "Well, basically I figured out how to bypass the lockout. Normally this technique would be impossible to work out, but we happen to be in luck. My readings seem to indicate that there has been a sudden surge of instability in the Digital World. This surge has resulted in an expanding field of static phase warps. I've managed to find a way to-"

"Static what?" asked TK.

"I'm glad you asked," Izzy said with a broad grin.

"Oh no," groaned the others.

"A static phase warp is-"

"That does it!" shouted Yolei. "You have ten words to wrap this up or else I'm gonna' clock you!"

"In conclusion, I have found a way through the Digiport," Izzy said.

"Then push the button already!" screamed Yolei.

Izzy sat down at his computer and began to type away.

"Everyone ready?" asked Izzy after a few seconds.

They all nodded.

"Then hold on tight!" said Izzy, pressing the 'enter' key.


	8. The Attack

As all this went on, there was a brutal attack being perpetrated on the innocent digimon of a large city in the Digital World. Amidst the normally serene valley where the city lay, billowing smoke rose in great plumes. Screams and explosions echoed throughout the valley; the sounds and smells of battle were thick. The city was ablaze as more and more mechanical digimon made their way deep into the city.

"Twin Beam!" shouted a Mekanorimon.

"Nose Gun!" shouted a Tankmon.

The combined attacks of the two digimon obliterated a nearby store. Several Gotsumon ran from the ruined structure, coughing from the thick, black ash that hung in the air. Several of them fell to their knees, begging for mercy. Their pleas were met with nothing but a savage blow to their faces, followed by another attack from Mekanorimon, destroying them.

In another part of the city, the local security force had been pinned down by the onslaught of enemy forces. It was made up of a motley crew of digimon, including several Tortomon, a swarm of Kuwagamon, a small group of Drimogemon, some Tyrannomon, some Monochromon, some Snimon, and of course there was the commander: a Rapidmon. They were locked in close combat with the increasing number of enemy forces who were hell-bent on absolute destruction of the entire city.

"Don't give 'em an inch boys!" shouted Rapidmon as he elbowed a Gardromon in the eyes.

The Gardromon stumbled back a few feet, allowing Rapidmon to dispatch him with a well-placed Rapid Fire. 

"Yes sir!" shouted a Tyrannomon as he locked his claws with a Mekanorimon.

Both the Tyrannomon and the Mekanorimon pushed as hard as they could, but Tyrannomon quickly proved the strongest, shoving the Mekanorimon back into a building before unleashing an explosive blast of flame from his mouth, taking down the Mekanorimon and most of the two-story building along with it. One of the Tortomon meanwhile was charging through a group of Gardromon, plowing them out of his way, tossing them around like rag-dolls. Hagurumon had surrounded two of the Snimon on all sides. One after another the Hagurumon charged at the Snimon in massive waves, and every time they were sliced down, but the Snimon had been forced back-to-back, and they would be unable to keep this pace up for long. Down went another batch of Hagurumon. Using each sickle-like claw independently, the Snimon sliced through the steel bodies of their enemies, and still they came. Seemingly unlimited numbers of digimon continued to pour into that city, driven into a berserk bloodlust, completely unfazed by the fall of their companions. The fury of their onslaught was unlike anything the security force could have ever been prepared for.

"Heads up!" shouted Rapidmon as he fired two more missiles into the group of Hagurumon.

"Thanks boss!" shouted the Snimon as they made a hasty escape to rejoin their friends.

A shell from a Tankmon struck Rapidmon square in the chest while he was distracted. He was knocked down, but not out. Three Kuwagamon landed and guarded until he recovered while the rest of the swarm had descended on a squad of Mekanorimon, beating them into submission with a mix of dive-bombing and direct hand-to-hand combat. As a nearby troupe of Gardromon launched their missiles at the Kuwagamon, the many insect digimon returned to the air, leaving the missiles to strike the downed Mekanorimon instead. The Kuwagamon were just about to go after the Gardromon, but in a flurry of incredible speed and power, a single digimon rushed right through the middle of their force. They all remained perfectly still for a moment before their bodies fell apart and disintegrated. The Kuwagamon had been sliced apart so quickly and powerfully that they never even saw it coming. Rapidmon watched this as the fearsome digimon came to a stop overhead, casting a shadow over the battlefield. It was very difficult to make out who it was because of the glare, but the digimon was clearly very powerful. The three Kuwagamon leaped into the air, charging at the digimon with all the force their hearts could muster; however it was soon proven that determination alone will not win a fight. All three of them were sliced in half the instant they got within five feet of this digimon.

Moving quickly and efficiently, the digimon landed firmly on his two, powerful feet directly in front of Rapidmon, shaking the ground below him. He stood erect in front of the visibly shaken Rapidmon, slowly retracting his wings and looking down at him with a cruel glare.

"You won't get away with this…" Rapidmon asserted. "Kill me if you can, but there will always be others to take my place."

"We can't wait to see who will challenge us after you," said the digimon in a cold, mechanical voice.

Rapidmon rushed forward with the same speed his name suggested. He booted the mechanical digimon in the face, rebounding off him and soaring backwards through the air before launching his Rapid Fire attack at him. The missiles hit hard, creating a powerful explosion that engulfed the vile digimon. Rapidmon landed on the rooftop of one of the still-standing buildings, looking carefully into the smoking crater left by his last attack. He waited patiently for any sign of movement.

"That the best you got?" asked the cold voice from behind him.

Rapidmon froze. How could this digimon be so fast? Why was he there? What did he want? Unfortunately, Rapidmon did not have the time he needed to consider these questions for long. Instead he launched himself forward at full speed, taking flight away from the main battle. He moved with phenomenal speed towards the heart of the city, amidst taller buildings that would make maneuvering difficult for his opponent. Rapidmon could sense the enemy commander hot on his heels, almost treating this as a game. Rapidmon bounded off building after building down the long, torn-up street. The walls of the buildings were so damaged that material would frequently fall away at Rapidmon's touch.

Convinced that he had lured his enemy into a pattern, Rapidmon slammed to a sudden stop. His opponent rushed right on past him at top speed just as Rapidmon let loose another barrage of his Rapid Fire attack. The missiles closed behind the evil digimon with incredible speed, but just when they were about to hit, the digimon pulled up hard, shooting towards the sky. The missiles buzzed past him before smashing into another building, shredding away a large section of wall in the explosion. Rapidmon began looking all around, trying desperately to regain sight of his enemy. Unfortunately, he failed to do so before receiving a devastating kick to the back that launched him down into a pile of rubble that lay in the street. The pavement all around him split from the force of the impact, and Rapidmon found himself lying face-down in a small crater. Debris fell around him like rain; bits and pieces of rock and metal bouncing off his armored body. The mechanized digimon landed a few feet in front of him, brutally unemotional.

"What are you waiting for?!" demanded Rapidmon, struggling to return to his feet.

"We have made our decision," said the digimon. "All life here will be eliminated."

Rapidmon jumped to his feet, but he just wasn't fast enough. The beast had rushed past him, leaving three long slices all the way through his midsection. Rapidmon, overcome by his injuries, disintegrated into a million bits of data.

"Flawless as always," said the digimon to himself.

The evil digimon's keen ears then picked up on a soft sound from within one of the nearby structures. His ears honed in on the source of the whimpering noise. The creature confidently turned to his right and walked to the blocked entrance to the building there. A quick slap knocked the rubble out of his way, revealing the bombed-out interior. In the corner stood a Deramon, holding onto a whimpering Tsunomon protectively. The vile digimon's eyes lit up at this sight. As the digimon began to move in, Deramon placed himself between him and Tsunomon, but a swift kick knocked the Deramon out cold. The digimon then reached down and picked up the Tsunomon, smiling a little.

"Sir!" called a Mekanorimon from outside. "Local resistance forces have been completely eliminated. What are your orders?"

"We have found the prize we sought," said the digimon. "My orders are for all ground troops to fall back. Call in Megadramon and Gigadramon for aerial bombardment. Eradicate this vermin-infested hovel."

"Immediately, sir!" saluted the Mekanorimon

Soon thereafter, the invading ground forces abandoned the city, leaving Megadramon and Gigadramon to clean up after them.

Hours later, the DigiDestined found themselves traipsing through a small wooded area. It was apparently a fairly young forest, as the trees were generally thin and spaced far enough apart to allow a great deal of light in. They could hear the sound of a trickling creek in the distance.

"That was some great targeting there, Izzy," said TK. "I guess you figured that since we're going to the Digital World anyway, we might as well get a little exercise too."

"I already explained it," said Izzy. "I could've done a better job if I knew where our enemy's base is, but I didn't happen to have that information handy."

"Stop picking on Izzy!" said Yolei as she slapped TK on the back of his head. "He's doing the best he can! Besides, he DID manage to get us here."

"Thank you Yolei," said Izzy.

"I'm sorry…" said TK. "I guess I'm just a little agitated right now. With Kari gone, I… I don't know."

"So where exactly are we going?" asked Cody.

"We're going somewhere," said Izzy. "I don't know where but we'll get there."

"Couldn't we get there faster if our digimon digivolved?" asked Cody.

"That might not be wise," said Joe. "What if we're heading the wrong way?"

"At least we'd find out sooner," said Cody.

"Let's just keep going like this," said Yolei. "If it looks like we're getting nowhere fast, then we can have the digimon digivolve."

"Sounds like a plan," said TK.

The group continued on for several minutes in silence.

"Hey, do you guys smell something?" asked Gomamon.

"Don't look at me!" said Tentomon.

"That's not what I meant!" said Gomamon. "I mean that I smell smoke…"

"Yeah, I smell it too," said TK.

"Definitely," said Cody.

"Where's it coming from?" asked Joe.

Gomamon sniffed the air a few more times. "East, definitely east."

The group adjusted their direction, running eastward through the forest. It wasn't long before they came to an open patch at the top of a steep hill that descended into a valley. Far ahead of them they could see the smoldering remains of what was once a digimon city. Smoke billowed up from the ruins, and the edge of a great storm cloud lingered ominously overhead.

"This can't be good," said Gatomon.

"We'd better get down there quick!" said Tentomon.

Tentomon quickly digivolved to Kabuterimon and Patamon armor digivolved to Pegasusmon. Between the two of them they were able to provide rapid transport down to the city below. As the group approached what remained of the city, they found themselves overcome by clouds of ash that still hung thickly in the air. Scattered fires scorched the earth around them, feeding off the green valley floor. Skeletal structures were all that remained of the buildings in the area. Debris was strewn about the streets, and the stench of death was powerful among the ruins.

"What happened here…?" asked Cody, clearly shaken by the scene before him.

"Looks like we're too late…" Armadillomon said forlornly.

"Could there be any survivors?" asked Yolei.

"Only one way to find out…" said Joe. "Hello! Is anyone out there?! Hello!"

The others all quickly joined in. They shouted as loud as they could, but still they received no reply. The stillness was eerie. Whatever terrible force had descended on this place had swallowed up all traces of life. With nothing else to do, the DigiDestined began to pick through the rubble, hoping to find a clue as to what had happened.

"What could've done this TK?" asked Pegasusmon as he pawed through the remnants of a store.

"I don't know," said TK. "I just don't know… But if it did it here then it'll probably do the same thing to the rest of the DigiWorld unless we can stop it."

"TK, we can stop it, I know we can," said Pegasusmon. "If there's one thing I've learned from all our time together, it's to never give up hope. No matter how grim things may look, there's always a chance that we can pull through."

"I'm worried about Kari though," said TK. "Will we ever find her again? What is she needs me? What if she's hurt? What if she's… dead?"

"TK, be strong," said Pegasusmon. "Kari is alive. I feel it down to my core. But she will not remain so for long. We must find her, and quickly."

"We WILL find her!" said TK. "I swear it!"

"That's the spirit!" said Pegasusmon. "With that attitude we can beat anything!"

"Then let's stop wasting time!" said TK. "Let's get out there and find where our enemy is!"

"Hey guys!" Gatomon shouted from over where she was digging. "Get over here quick! I found a survivor!"

The others all instantly turned there heads to Gatomon, heading towards her a moment later as she began to help the wounded Deramon out from under a pile of concrete, steel, and broken glass.

Back in the subterranean base, a fateful discovery was about to be made…

"Is there any progress on Subject A?" demanded the shadowy figure.

"I'm afraid not," said the Hagurumon at the console. "Even with the probe at its highest setting we've been getting nothing."

"I refuse to give up!" said the figure. "Still, this human tries my patience. Give it one more day of treatment at the maximum level. I want that crest, even if it means killing the host."

"Isn't that risky sir?"

"Of course it is," said the figure. "But we'd have to terminate it anyway if it proved incorruptible."

"As you wish," said Hagurumon.

"…I'm weary of discussing that one," said the figure. "Have we received the data back from Subject B?"

"It's coming in now sir," said Hagurumon.

"Excellent," said the figure. "Maybe we can finally get some results."

Both the figure and Hagurumon stared intently at the monitor in front of them. A second later though, their expressions turned to utter shock.

"Holy crap…" said the figure.

"Ditto…" said the Hagurumon.

"How could those numbers be so high?!" demanded the figure. "Is there a system glitch?"

"No glitch," said Hagurumon. "The numbers don't lie. Individual strength is 379 and the crest amplification ratio is 13:1."

"Such incredible power…" said the figure. "This must be the one the Vanguard is searching for. Incredible… I must have that power!"

"Sir," announced Hagurumon. "We have a problem. Preliminary scans indicate an extraordinary resistance factor. We can corrupt the subject, but it will take some time."

"Whatever it takes!" shouted the figure. "Begin data download immediately and forward the data to the Vanguard as the download progresses! I want that crest!"


	9. The Last Night

"So who wants to start?" asked Joe.

The group was sitting around amidst the ruins along with a few other surviving digimon they had found, including Deramon, a Pumpkinmon, some Numemon, and a Woodmon. The black cloud that hung in the sky seemed to be continuing to expand.

"Well what exactly do you want to know?" asked Deramon.

"How about starting with what happened?" asked Gomamon.

"We were attacked, obviously," said a Numemon.

"Well I could figure that much out," said Gomamon. "But who was it that attacked you? Why did they pick this place?"

"It was terrible," said Woodmon. "There were so many of them… they seemed to close in all around us. If one went down there were always to more in its place. It was… too horrible to describe. It was a nightmare."

"We don't know why this happened to us," said Pumpkinmon. "Just unlucky I guess. They say other towns have been hit just like ours, but we figured those were just rumors. I guess we found out the truth too late."

"You say this has happened other places too?" asked Yolei.

"Yeah, that's right," said a Numemon. "A big city down south a ways got it first. Then there was a Koromon village a few miles north of that. Then there's us."

"Hmm…" mused Izzy. "A pattern. Sounds to me like these guys are heading north."

"Any idea what's up that way?" asked Cody.

"Just the biggest desert you could ever hope to see," said Pumpkinmon. "Ain't nuthin' up there 'cept sand and sky."

"Now that's not true," said Deramon.

"You mean that old place?" asked Pumpkinmon. "Why would anyone go up there to see that thing?"

"Those two fellas who came here last week seemed pretty interested," said Deramon.

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" asked Izzy.

"Just some old abandoned building out in the middle of nowhere," said Pumpkinmon. "Ain't no one been there for a real long time."

"Don't forget those two guys," said Deramon.

"What two guys?" asked Armadillomon.

"Well about a week ago, these two fellas showed up here," said Deramon. "One of 'em was a Rookie; dragon-type I believe. The other one was… well… I've never seen anyone like him before. He looked kinda' like y'all."

"You mean human?" asked TK.

"Well, I've never seen a human before myself," said Deramon. "But I'd have to say yes; he was human."

"Then they're still alive!" said Cody. "Jack and Stormdramon are both still alive!"

"Not too likely," said Pumpkinmon.

Cody's excitement fell immediately.

"I don't know about humans," Pumpkinmon said. "But there ain't a Rookie alive that could make it through the desert on the small supply of rations they took."

"But couldn't they've made it to the building?" asked Tentomon.

"Well, maybe," said Pumpkinmon. "But even if they found it, and that is one big if, I don't even know if they'd be able to find food there."

"Well we can't give up hope," said Joe. "Say Pumpkinmon, do you remember which direction they came from?"

"Sure," said Pumpkinmon. "They said that they'd come up from the south."

"Then I don't think we've got much time to waste," said Joe.

"What do you mean?" asked Armadillomon.

"Well, think about it," Joe said. "It sounds a lot like this path of destruction is following Jack and Stormdramon. If I'm right and they passed through the other city and the Koromon village, then those evil digimon are hunting them down."

"That's a distinct possibility," said Izzy.

"But that still doesn't tell us where all the others are," said TK.

"One step at a time," said Izzy.

"So I take it you're heading into the desert," said Deramon.

"As soon as we can," said Yolei.

"Well then we could offer you a little help," said Deramon. "The rest of us will scrounge up some supplies for you guys. It probably won't be a lot, but hopefully it'll get you to where you need to go."

"That's so generous!" said Cody. "I wish there was some way to repay you."

"You've done more than enough already," said Deramon. "It was you guys that came along and rescued us. Plus, you're our only hope to go after those guys who destroyed our home."

"We appreciate any help we can get," said Yolei.

"Although," said Deramon. "There is one favor you could do for me."

"What's that?" asked Gatomon.

"Well, I have this friend; Tsunomon," said Deramon. "For some reason he was taken shortly before they leveled the city. I really doubt he's still alive, but could you guys keep an eye out for him? I really just want my friend to be safe."

"Not a problem," said TK. "We'll bring Tsunomon back as good as new!"

"Oh thank you all so much!" said Deramon joyously. "Now you guys get a little rest and we'll try to get some supplies together."

"We'll be waiting," said Patamon.

And so the remaining DigiDestined had a nice chance to rest for what they knew would probably their last chance in a long while. After a short time though, they were met by their knew friends with a bag loaded down with foodstuffs, a first aid kit, a couple canteens with water, a flashlight, and a compass. The digimon were very apologetic about not being able to find more, but the DigiDestined insist that they not worry about it too much. With supplies in tow and a few flying Champion digimon underfoot, the DigiDestined and their partner digimon headed north into the desert.

As the day wore on the sun began to sink in the sky. The black cloud that loomed over the desert, motionless and eerie, had blocked the sun from view all day long, but failed to cover it as dusk neared. Gentle winds rolled over the sandy dunes. Beneath the surface though, this all went completely unobserved. Only the cold touch of steel, the smell of stale oxygen, and the distant droning hum of machines could be heard. Willis lay against the wall of a small prison cell that was occupied by other DigiDestined, most of whom refused to say anything to him. They had spent the last hour or so without as much as a word to one another. Michael, being the only one there besides Willis to remain himself, had talked with the other blonde for a while, but now he was just sleeping. Willis had long since given up trying to talk to the others. Instead he just listened to the terrible sounds of some creature in the next cell. The beast's groans were anguished; tortured. The sound made Willis quite sad, and yet somewhat sympathetic. Whatever the creature was, it was clearly suffering.

"Are you alright over there?" Willis finally called.

The groans suddenly stopped.

"I'm just asking because-"

"Hunger…" grumbled the creature in a scratchy, somewhat demented voice. "Need… free."

"You're hungry?" asked Willis.

"Need be free," said the creature. "Get data. Be strong. Stop enemy. Revenge."

"Do you know who's holding us here?" asked Willis.

"Enemy… strong," groaned the creature. "Too strong. Need be free… or need destroy."

"Don't worry buddy," said Willis. "Somehow, I'll get us all out of here. Then you and I can take the 'enemy' down together."

The creature chuckled. "You strong. Good friend. Need strong friend for fight enemy."

"So who exactly are you?" asked Willis.

The creature sighed. "No talk. Bad."

"Well how can you and I be friends if-"

"QUIET! NEED DATA! FEED OR DIE!"

"Look, I just-"

The creature began to throw itself around the room, smashing into walls and slashing at whatever it could get its claws into. The force from the creature's movements shook the wall of the cell and generated terrible banging noises. After several minutes of this, Willis heard the door at the end of the hall slide open. The creature silenced itself almost immediately. Ominous footsteps approached the creature's cell, the sound echoing throughout the prison area. Finally, the footsteps stopped.

"Acting up again?" asked a cruel voice outside the creature's cell.

Silence.

"Don't try to deny it," said the voice. "I know you even better than you know yourself. I know what brings you pain, and I have no reservations about using that knowledge."

More silence.

"Fine, play that game if you want," said the voice. "I certainly don't mind doing this. I just figured you might want to make it a little more fun."

"Revenge…" grumbled the creature. "Soon…"

"Ah, there we go," said the voice. "So good to see that I still have a little of your spirit left to crush. I think I'll leave it intact for my big finish when you get to see me attain what I have sought after for so long."

"Will stop you," said the creature.

"Heh," coughed the voice. "You're not the first to say that, and you probably won't be the last. Let me assure you that I WILL succeed. No one can stop me now, NO ONE. I will bring the Digital World under my sway, or see it burnt to ashes around me."

Willis then heard some movement outside. A moment later there was a sound like an explosion, followed by a tortured scream from the creature.

Isn't it amazing the power of this little thing?" asked the voice as the creature continued to scream. "Soon, I will have one that's even stronger. Of course you won't be alive to see it, but I assure you it will be glorious."

The creature's screams fell silent, as its body could be heard collapsing to the floor. Without another word, the figure outside could be heard approaching the cell in which the DigiDestined were held.

"Is he-?" asked Willis when the footsteps came to a stop.

"No," said the voice through the small window. "He just passed out. I find his threshold for pain to be disappointingly low."

"You monster," said Willis. "I'm gonna'-"

"You're gonna' what?" asked the voice. "I certainly don't foresee any threat posed by some child in a box."

"Just you wait," said Willis. "Sooner or later, my friends are going to come after you, and you aren't going to survive."

"Actually, they're already on their way," said the voice.

"What?" asked Willis.

"They're coming right for us," said the voice. "But believe me, they're the ones who won't survive. I won't be defeated; not when I'm so close."

"So close to what?!" demanded Willis.

"To completing a plan started one thousand years ago," said the voice. "To bringing the grand scheme to fruition. To resurrecting _him_."

"And what happens when _he_ gets here?" asked Willis.

"The end of all things," said the voice. "And with the White DigiEgg in my possession, even _he_ will have to bend to my will."

"You're insane," said Willis. "Do you really think we're going to let you win?"

"There's nothing you can do to stop me," said the voice. "I already possess many of the tools I need. The dark spore I have recently harvested is a source of incalculable dark energy. The Crest of Corruption, which lies in my possession, is the key to unlocking the energy of the spore. All I need now is to corrupt one more of the high crests, and then I can use it to focus the power of the spore. Gathering the raw, dark energy needed is the only troublesome prospect in the entire process. Doing the rest is child's play."

"You demented son of a-"

"Hold your tongue," said the voice. "I could kill you with a thought, but I want you to live just long enough to see my ultimate victory. Don't think for a second though that I would hesitate to eliminate you should you become a nuisance."

The figure swiftly turned and walked back down the hall. Willis slumped to the ground, pondering the hopeless situation he was knee-deep in.

Hours later, beneath a completely black sky, Joe, Izzy, TK, Yolei, Cody, Gomamon, Patamon, Gatomon, Armadillomon, Hawkmon, and Tentomon lay around a campfire. Deep blue desert stretched out in all directions. Izzy and Joe were the only ones still awake.

"Think we'll find it tomorrow?" asked Joe.

"Hard to say," said Izzy. "But if we do I'm willing to bet we'll need our sleep tonight."

"Hey Izzy, I want to ask you something," said Joe.

"What is it?" asked Izzy.

"Well I know we were a little irritable earlier," said Joe. "You know, right before we came back to the Digital World. But that was because we were all in a big hurry. Anyway, now that we have the time, I'd like to know how you solved the whole problem of getting us here to begin with."

"You really want to know?" asked Izzy.

"Of course," said Joe.

"Alrighty then!" said Izzy happily. "As I recall, I was just about to explain about phase warps. You see, a phase warp is a region wherein a massive instability causes different planes of reality, such as the real and digital worlds, to sort of overlap. Some of the other worlds we've seen include the dark ocean and that place that Oikawa went where wishes become reality. Anyway, we've encountered phase warps very often in our travels. They allowed digimon to appear in our world four years ago, they allowed Kari to travel to the dark ocean, they allowed Black Wargreymon to appear in Kyoto, and they allowed any number of other strange events. Of course, phase warps can also be incredibly destructive too. For example, Ken's base had direct access to the dark ocean, allowing its evil energy to spill into the digital world. That concentrated evil caused an imbalance to form inside the base, resulting in a phase warp that grew larger and larger until it threatened to explode, taking a sizeable chunk of the Digital World with it. We also saw phase warps appearing when the destiny stones were destroyed. All of the destruction caused by these phenomena is because phase warps cause dramatic, sometimes dangerous distortion in reality. There's no telling what a phase warp could do with enough power.

Anyway, I got us here through the use of static phase warps. These are phase warps that don't really do much. They have all the potential of a normal phase warp, but they are simply inactive. I believe these phase warps have manifested themselves in the form of the clouds we see above us. As these clouds grow, that indicates that the instability in this region is increasing, in turn creating more phase warps. If we find the center of these warps, we should find our enemy.

As for how I utilized them, well, it's quite simple. Do you remember back on Server when we first encountered Datamon? I used his signal to transport us near to his location. My theory at the time was way off, but I had unknowingly tapped into a phase warp. Using the knowledge I acquired on that day, I was able to activate one of the phase warps on the outskirts of the massive field of them we see above us. Activating one of the ones towards the center would've been too dangerous, as there are so many that are packed so tightly together, there would've been a good chance of us being splintered across the universe. So that's how we-"

At this point Izzy noticed that Joe was fast asleep.

"…Got… here…" mumbled Izzy.


	10. Into the Darkness

****

Day 26

"Well? What do you guys think?" asked Tentomon.

"I don't like it," TK said. "It's too quiet."

The whole team stood before a very old, metallic door. It apparently lead into a massive structure buried beneath the sand. The clouds overhead were so thick that it was as dark as night, and the only sound was that of a few gusts of wind sailing over the sandy dunes. Other than the door, there was nothing as far as the eye could see. Yolei wrapped her arms around herself because of the frigid winds.

"Well it has to be the place," said Yolei. "I mean it's not like we've been finding huge underground buildings every mile."

"She's right," Joe concurred. "I don't have any doubts about this being the place. The question now, is what to do about it."

"We go inside, silly," said Gomamon. "In case you hadn't noticed, we are WAY past the point of no return. Besides, if I stay out in this dry air a minute longer I'm gonna' go nuts, and I'm taking all of you along for the ride!"

"Think you guys can handle whatever's in there?" asked Cody.

"Indubitably," said Hawkmon confidently.

"We can take whatever those guys can dish out," said Armadillomon.

"I guess this is it then," said Joe. "Either we come out of this place victorious, or we don't come out at all."

The others nodded solemnly. They all turned to the door and took a few steps forward. There was a scraping sound and a mechanical whirring a few moments before the door slowly opened. They all gazed into the infinite darkness that lay within, each silently praying that they would all make it back out in one piece.

"That's it…" cooed a sinister voice in the central command center. "Come on in, children."

"Sir, all units have reported in," said a nearby Datamon. "All troops have been recalled and are maintaining a safe distance from the main hall. Ready to move in behind the intruders at your authorization."

"Have all magnetic locks been engaged?"

"Unfortunately, no" Datamon replied. "It would seem that our repairs were not fully complete, and many of the secondary systems still show widespread failures. Power failures in sectors D through F have made both locking and lighting systems inoperable."

"Hmm… they won't reach those sectors for a while. Still, I wouldn't want them making their way into any vital areas without coming to me first. It's just plain rude when someone comes into your home and doesn't even introduce themselves before messing around with your stuff."

"Master, if I may…" said a venomous, youthful voice behind the shadowy figure. "I do not believe we should underestimate these remaining DigiDestined. Though their numbers may be greatly reduced, disregarding all danger would be foolish."

"What would you suggest?" asked the figure.

"A simple, yet ingenious strategy," said the voice. "Divide and conquer. I'll attempt to cut off one or two from the group and deal with them personally. I should have no problem crushing them like the insects they are..."

"I like how you think, my young protégé," the figure said with a wicked sneer. "Make it so."

"Do you have need of me?" asked yet another voice, this one mechanical and booming.

"Always, commander," said the figure. "You will accompany me as my bodyguard. We shall be waiting for any would-be heroes bold enough to bypass our blockade."

"Of course, my liege," said the mechanical voice.

A short time later, the team was officially getting bored. The seemingly endless halls, the darkness aided only by the flashlight they had received earlier, the occasional locked door, and the incessant hum of machines grew dull very quickly.

"I know we're supposed to be afraid for our lives and all…" said Gatomon. "But I'd really prefer it if we just got into the action."

"I know what you mean," said Tentomon. "The anticipation of a fight is often just as bad as the fight itself."

"If the fight wasn't any harder than this, I'd be really happy," Izzy said.

"Is it just me, or is this place kinda'… familiar?" Patamon queried.

"Now that you mention it…" mused Gomamon. "It does seem like I've been here before."

"Strange," said TK. "I can't remember ever being here."

"Me either," said Izzy and Joe simultaneously.

"Or us," said Yolei and Cody.

"Well I know I've been here before," said Gatomon.

"Me too!" Tentomon chimed in.

"Odd," said Hawkmon. "I have no recollection of ever having been to this place before."

"Uh, yeah, what he said," Said Armadillomon.

"Most curious," Izzy pondered. "Why would only Patamon, Gatomon, Tentomon and Gomamon remember this place? One could draw the conclusion that it was only the digimon that have been here before, but then why wouldn't Hawkmon and Armadillomon remember?"

"Hey, I know," said TK. "Maybe it's because Hawkmon and Armadillomon are part of the new team, but the others are from the older team."

"An excellent observation," said Izzy. "But still, when would you guys have been here anyway?"

"Beats me," said Gomamon.

"But it was definitely a very long time ago," said Tentomon.

"Look, this is all VERY fascinating," said Yolei. "But unless you can point us in the direction of where our friends might be this probably won't be very helpful!"

"She does have a point…" said Izzy. "Standing here talking won't do us much good."

The group got back to their long trek into the darkness.

"Jeez, what crawled up her butt all of a sudden?" whispered Gatomon to Hawkmon.

"I don't have a clue," Hawkmon whispered back. "But I'm willing to bet that the stress of this whole situation is starting to get to her a little bit."

"She's got to learn to chill out," replied Gatomon.

"You're telling me…" Hawkmon said.

They all continued walking for another ten minutes or so, constantly checking every door they came across to see whether or not it was locked. Eventually, this tactic paid off when Cody stumbled upon a large, steel door that was unlocked. Painted in block letters on the door was the phrase: "HOLDING CELLS: OBSERVATION LEVEL".

"Hey guys! Check it out!" said Cody excitedly.

Yolei and Hawkmon crowded up behind Cody and Armadillomon as they opened the door. The four of them quickly stepped through, but the door slammed shut again before any of the others could follow. There was a mechanical noise that instantly told them that the door was locked.

"Hey!" screamed Yolei, banging on the door with her fists. "Open up! This isn't funny!"

"We didn't do it!" shouted the muffled voice of TK on the other side of the door.

"It's alright! Stay calm!" shouted Joe. "This isn't as bad as it seems!"

"Not as bad as it seems?!" shrieked Yolei. "We're trapped in here with no way out! Seems pretty bad to me!"

"Just stay calm," said Cody. "I'm sure Armadillomon can get us through there in no time. Right, pal?"

"Uh… maybe…" said Armadillomon.

Armadillomon trotted closer to the door and placed his ear up to the frame. He gave it a couple taps with his knuckles and listened carefully. After a few seconds he turned back to Cody and shook his head disappointedly.

"No go," said Armadillomon. "That there is six inches of reinforced tempered steel. I couldn't get through that thing with a stick of dynamite."

"Well then how about a couple of drills?" asked Cody, holding up his D-3.

"Not a bad idea!" said Armadillomon. "Just stand back!"

Yolei, Cody, and Hawkmon moved back a few feet as Armadillomon armor digivolved to Digmon. Now armed with an array of drills, Digmon set to work on the door. There was a loud grinding noise as chunks of metal flew through the air. Cody, Hawkmon, and Yolei all had to cover their ears from the noise. Suddenly, a potent electrical surge shot through Digmon's body, knocking him back right on top of his friends.

"Well that could've gone better," grumbled Cody under Digmon's weight.

Stunned by the jolt, Digmon de-digivolved to Armadillomon and began to stumble about.

"How deep did he get?" asked Yolei, sitting up.

"Looks like about an inch…" said Hawkmon upon examining the damage to the door.

"Well, that's excellent," said Yolei unenthusiastically.

"Better not try that again," said Cody, picking up his dazed pal.

"You guys alright in there?!" shouted TK.

"We're fine!" said Cody. "But you three should go on without us, 'cause getting through that door isn't going to happen!"

"You sure?!" shouted Izzy.

"Worry not!" replied Hawkmon. "I'm sure we can manage to find an alternative route!"

"Well… alright!" said TK. "You guys just stay safe!"

With that said Cody, Yolei, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon turned to look at the room they were in for the first real inspection. It was nearly pitch-black, so Yolei and Cody began fumbling around in search of a light switch. Yolei stumbled upon a button after a few moments and pressed it. Sure enough, the lighting activated. They found themselves on a long, narrow, metal pathway with flimsy railing on the sides that stretched into the distance. On either side below path were long rows of open-ceiling rooms, like cubicles. Each room was roughly eight-by-eight and the top edges were lined with long, fluorescent lighting, providing the only sources of light in the entire room. The ceiling was still quite dark, as was the far wall. When the lights had flicked on they elicited a low grumbling that seemed to be composed of voices from all the cells below; apparently none of the inmates cared much for the sudden light.

"Whoa, creepy," said Yolei.

"C'mon," Cody said. "I'll bet you there's another exit at the far end of this room."

"Just be careful," said Yolei. "I'd hate it if any of us tripped and fell over the edge."

The four intrepid explorers continued down the path, scanning over every cell as they passed by. Some contained nothing, while others contained a digimon or two. One even contained a whole bunch of digimon. Still, they didn't see anything too spectacular. At least not until they came to one cell. Looking over the edge, they saw that it was inhabited by a digimon they didn't recognize, but that was probably because it was all curled up in the corner. They digimon's bluish-purple skin was marred but scrapes, bruises, and dried blood.

"Aww…" murmured Yolei. "He looks so sad. He's been hurt bad by the looks of it."

"Think we can help him?" asked Cody.

"We should at least try," said Yolei. "Hey you! Can you hear me?"

The creature cringed at the sound of her voice, trying to push itself further into the corner.

"Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you," said Cody. "Just talk to us."

The creature seemed to calm slightly. It removed one of its claws from over its face and swiveled a dark, emotionless eye towards the DigiDestined, but it was their digimon that quickly caught the creature's attention.

"DATA!" exclaimed the creature. "MUST FEED!"

The strange digimon uncoiled its multitude of tentacles and sprang upwards with a voracious look in its eyes. The DigiDestined pulled back, but they soon learned that it was unnecessary when the creature slammed into a very strong electrical field where the roof of the cell would have been. It cried out as some 5,000 volts of electricity shot through it. It fell back to the ground a moment later, smoke pouring off its weakened body.

"Wh-who is that?" Cody asked, clearly shaken.

"I can't believe it!" gasped Yolei. "It's… it's Keramon! It's Keramon!!!"

"And who, pray tell, is Keramon?" asked Hawkmon.

"I remember hearing about him," said Cody as he peered over the railing into the cell below. "That's the Rookie form of Diaboromon, right?"

"That's right…" said Yolei. "But what is he doing here? It was bad enough the last time we fought him!"

"Hold on," said Cody. "Something tells me that he's not our enemy this time."

"What makes you say that?" asked Yolei.

"Well, for starters he's in a cage," said Cody.

"Oh yeah," said Yolei. "I guess that wouldn't make much sense. But still, we should keep an eye on him."

"I agree," said Cody. "We can't afford to let him loose. We don't need two enemies out there."

"Destroy…" grumbled Keramon.

"Hey! Is someone up there?!" called a voice from the next cell over.

"Hey, is that…?" asked Yolei to herself.

The four of them quickly rushed towards the cell from which the voice had come. Upon looking down, they found what they had come to look for.

"Michael! Willis!" exclaimed Yolei.

"Hey guys!" called Cody.

In the cell below, Michael and Willis looked up, smiling with great relief. Also in the cell were Tai, Matt, Sora, and Mimi, but they seemed a lot less happy. In fact, they were all sitting in opposite corners of the tiny room.

"I told you I heard something!" said Willis to Michael.

"How did you guys get here?!" asked Michael.

"Long story!" shouted Cody. "Let's just find a way to get you guys out of there!"

"Don't forget about us!" shouted a voice immediately behind the group on the catwalk.

Cody, Yolei, Hawkmon and Armadillomon all did an about-face. Inside that cell they found Agumon, Gabumon, Wormmon, Veemon, Terriermon and Lopmon, Betamon, Palmon, and Biyomon.

"Wow! You're all here!" Armadillomon shouted.

"Boy are you guys a sight for sore eyes!" said Agumon.

"Hurry up and get us out of this place!" said Terriermon. "We don't have much time!"

"What do you mean?" asked Hawkmon.

"No time to talk!" said Lopmon. "One of that creepy guy's goons is going to be here any minute! There's no time to waste."

"There's less time than you realize…" said a startlingly familiar voice on the catwalk.

"Who's there?!" shouted Yolei, staring into the darkness ahead.

Something began to approach. The rhythmic sound of footsteps on the cold steel was almost maddening. They could just barely make out the outline of the figure.

"I've been waiting a long time for this…" said the voice. "To think that I was actually defeated by you pitiful children. I've returned to prove to you all that the strong will inevitably defeat the weak."

"Don't come any closer!" warned Hawkmon.

"Or what?" asked the voice. "You'll digivolve? Not to likely, as long as I have the dark digivice."

"What? The… the dark digivice?" asked Cody.

A violet light sprang up in the darkness from the D-3 held by the figure. Much of his figure was basked in the light, giving him a terrifying appearance. Where he the light didn't reach there was deep shadows. His eyes seemed cruelly empty. His cape flowed at the touch of some unseen specter. The Emperor had returned.

"And now," said Ken. "The party is about to begin."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Isn't this exciting? Don't miss next time, when the real enemy is finally revealed! Many questions will be answered, but even more will be left unsolved!]


	11. Evil Unmasked

[Here we go, another chapter and out a little earlier than normal. For this chapter, I'm introducing a nice little feature. I know this story is long, and sometimes it's hard to pick up on the more obscure references. Therefore, from now on when I make any somewhat obscure reference, I'll indicate where in the previous chapters/stories one can find that information. Now sit back and enjoy as we reveal the master behind the mechanical digimon…]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Heads up!" shouted Gomamon.

The little digimon shoved all his weight against Joe, knocking the whole remaining group into a smaller passage that branched off from the main one a moment prior to a Mekanorimon in the darkness ahead firing his Twin Beam attack. The dual lasers tried to track the DigiDestined and their partners as they fell, but only managed to slice through the middle section of the corner, filling the air with a mix of dust and steel filings. Joe, TK, and Izzy lay on the floor coughing as Gatomon peeked around the corner.

"Are you three alright?" inquired Tentomon.

"We'll be fine," TK assured him.

"Not if we don't all get out of here!" said Gatomon. "Stand up and get a move on!"

The three DigiDestined shot to their feet and began to sprint down the hall with Gomamon, Tentomon, and Patamon in tow. They quickly realized that Gatomon had stayed behind.

"Gatomon! What do you think you're doing?!" shouted TK.

"Hold on just a second!" called Gatomon.

The Mekanorimon rounded the corner an instant later. It looked down at the Gatomon at its feet and quickly took aim. Gatomon leaped straight up into the air just as the Mekanorimon fired into the ground. A swift kick to Mekanorimon's face from Gatomon slammed it back against the wall and took it out of commission.

"Now we can go," said Gatomon as she landed and sprinted towards the others.

They all quickly started running again at the sound of more approaching Mekanorimon. They kept running down the hall until they came to a large, empty, hexagonal room with high ceilings. Each side of the room had an opening leading to more passages like the one they had just emerged from.

"Which way?!" shouted Joe.

"I don't know! Pick a direction!" yelled Gomamon.

They could hear the Mekanorimon in the passage behind them approaching rapidly, definitely in flight mode. They simply decided to head straight ahead, but they all skidded to a stop just before entering the passage. Looming in front of them was an Andromon. They all turned back around, but the two Mekanorimon had arrived, and more were emerging from the other passages. Soon, the DigiDestined and their digimon were all in a circle in the center of the room, facing the large force of mechanical digimon that had surrounded them.

"Not good…" said Izzy, a bead of sweat running down his face.

"Are we just supposed to fight forever?" asked Gatomon.

"Can't you guys just digivolve to Ultimate?" asked TK.

"Not without Kari," said Gatomon.

"Tentomon and I could, but we'd be way too big to fight," said Gomamon.

"Then we'll just have to settle for Champion," said Tentomon.

"Don't worry, I got ya' covered," said Patamon.

"Oh no you don't," said Joe, looking around the room for something.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Patamon asked.

"TK, take Patamon and Gatomon and get through that door," said Joe. "The one that Andromon came out of. I don't see any more Mekanorimon in there."

"But what about you guys?" asked TK.

"Just go," said Joe. "We'll cover your escape."

"But I-"

"Too late!" said Izzy.

Izzy and Joe dashed past Andromon, dragging TK, Gatomon, and Patamon along with them. They shoved the three of them into the passage. Izzy quickly located a small control panel next to the passage entrance and slammed his fist against it. A heavy door instantly closed the passage off from the room they were in. TK slammed his fists into the door as he heard the muffled sounds of battle begin to erupt on the other side of the door.

"No…" said TK, his eyes stinging with tears. "I'm the only one left! How can I do this on my own?! I'm not cut out for this!"

"Pull it together!" shouted Gatomon. "You're the only one left, but you still have the crest of hope! Don't you get it?! You're the last chance we've got, our last ray of hope! As long as we can keep fighting we won't be stopped, at least not today!"

"We've still got a job to do here TK," said Patamon. "I'm not about to let a few minor setbacks stop us! After all we've been through together, are you actually willing to just give up?!"

"You're right, as always," said TK, calming down. "Alright, we're not finished yet. Let's do this… together!"

"Right!" cheered both Patamon and Gatomon.

The three of them quickly took off down the hall. They had no idea what they were looking for or where they were going, but they'd find out soon enough. After a couple of minutes of dodging down a labyrinth of empty halls, TK turned a corner and ran right into someone, knocking both of them over. TK, although a bit dazed, managed to pick himself back up again with relative speed, and found that the person he had knocked over was none other than Davis Motimiya, who was still sitting on the ground, rubbing his forehead.

"You stupid, klutzy doofus! Why don't you-" grumbled Davis as his eyes slowly came into focus. "TK! What are you doing here, dude?!"

"I could ask you the same thing!" said TK, offering his hand to Davis.

Davis accepted and pulled himself to his feet with TK's help. Davis quickly dusted himself off.

"Long story," said Davis. "In a nutshell I feel like I've been asleep for days. When I woke up, this creepy guy said he was really mad at me… something about crests. Kari was there too, but she was hooked up to some kind of weird machine and I think she was asleep. That guy had this Hagurumon take me away, but I decked the sucker and then I ran into you."

"Kari?!" shouted TK. "Where is she?"

"Back the other way," said Davis. "I would've gone after her, but I didn't want to run into that creepy guy again, especially not without Veemon."

"I don't care, we've got to find her!" said TK.

"Hey!" exclaimed Davis. "With you and Patamon here, we should be able to handle whatever that guy can throw at us! We CAN rescue Kari!"

"Then lead the way!" shouted TK.

"Right!" said Davis, turning around and beginning to run down the hall.

TK, Patamon, and Gatomon all took off after him. TK quickly caught up to Davis.

"I almost forgot," TK said as he rummaged through his pocket. "I thought you might want these back."

TK pulled Davis' broken goggles out of his pocket and handed them back to their rightful owner.

"Jeez, these look pretty beat up," said Davis. "Oh well, I know someone who can fix these."

Davis stretched the goggles over his head and let the band snap firmly into place.

Meanwhile, Kari found herself back at the dark ocean. She could feel the evil forces all around her, flooding the air, overrunning her defenses. Terrible voices filled her ears and dark shadows swirled about her within the fog. She desperately tried to run, but moving in the thick, black water was almost impossible. The screams of anguish drove deeper and deeper into her heart. Her strength was being whittled away painfully slowly.

"Please…" begged Kari. "Leave me alone… I just want to get out of here… I don't want to hurt any of you…"

Still, the evil entities pounded at her mind; pleading for entrance. Her strength the resist them was depleted, very nearly gone. She was just about to give out, when she heard a voice in the distance, a warm, familiar voice.

"Who's there?" Kari called.

"Kari!" said the voice, now slightly closer.

"I'm here!" shouted Kari. "I'm here!"

"Can you here me?" asked the voice.

"Please! Help me!" yelled Kari.

"Kari, listen to me. Focus on the sound of my voice!" said the person, who was drawing nearer by the second.

"Alright," said Kari. "I'm focusing on you."

"Please wake up," said the voice.

"What do you mean wake up?" asked Kari. "I'm wide awake."

"Don't worry Kari," said the voice. "I don't know if you can hear me, but rest assured that I'll find a way to save you."

Kari then realized that it was TK's voice calling to her.

"TK!" she shouted. "Can you hear me?!"

There was no response and Kari began to look around frantically for anything that could help her in any way. Floating in the water she saw something glowing. When she picked it up she realized that it was the crest of light. As she looked at it, it began to glow. The fog all around her split wide open as the crest sent out a beam of light, marking a path out for Kari to travel.

"Don't worry TK," said Kari. "I'm coming…"

"Dammit!" shouted TK, slamming his fists down on the monitor.

TK stood in a small room with two chairs like the type one might find in the dentist's office, expect these were hooked up to several pieces of electrical equipment. Kari was currently occupying one of the chairs, and was fully reclined. Several electrodes were attached to her head and she was completely unconscious. A monitor sitting on a small table next to the chair registered heartbeat, brain waves, and respiration. Davis, along with Patamon and Gatomon, hung back near the door they had come in through.

"Dammit!" repeated TK. "Why isn't she waking up?!"

"It's alright man," said Davis. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

"You don't understand!" shouted TK. "I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to her, but now just look! Look what's happened! Look at what I let happen!"

"Shut up!" said Davis, slapping TK across the face.

TK was stunned, unable to even blink.

"You can't blame yourself like this, dude!" scolded Davis. "The point is that you came through when she really needs you, and that is right now!"

"Davis, I…"

"I wish that it was me she needed," said Davis. "But she chose you. Maybe she was right to do so. I don't know if I'd have the guts you have to come after her like you did. But right now you need to be strong, you can't stop believing that she'll be alright!"

"Wow…" said TK. "Thanks Davis."

"No prob, bro," said Davis. "… Just don't think for a second that I've given up on Kari."

TK smiled.

"T… TK…" groaned a soft voice.

Daivs, TK, Gatomon, and Patamon all quickkly turned to Kari, who had begun to stir from her sleep.

"Kari!" shouted Gatomon and TK at once.

Gatomon leaped up onto the edge of the chair while TK bent over Kari. Her eyes slowly opened.

"I'm not too late…" said TK.

"It's never too late," groaned Kari with a weak smile. [See The White DigiEgg, ch.20]

TK returned the smile, embracing Kari in a loving hug.

"How touching," said a sinister voice from the far corner of the room. "I just love happy reunions."

"Who's there?" demanded TK with a start.

Very slowly, the menacing figure walked forward into the light. He was barely recognizable with his pale skin, the bags that hung beneath his eyes and the sinister grin on his face, but there was no doubt that the nemesis they now faced… was none other than Jack.

"Jack…?" asked TK. "You… what?!"

"Calm yourself," said Jack. "Shock is hardly the most attractive human emotion."

"Alright, buddy! What's the deal?!" shouted Davis.

"Ah, the cocky one," Jack said as his smirk disintegrated into a frown. "You cost me a great deal, boy. That crest of yours would have vastly increased my power, but you were just too stubborn."

"What are you talking about?!" demanded Davis.

"I don't have time for this!" said Jack. "Any explanation I could provide would be wasted on you, child. You robbed me of all the power held in your crest! YOU were completely immune to my treatments! For this you must pay!"

"Jack, why are you doing all this?" TK asked.

"What are you…oh," said Jack. "Still haven't figured it out, boy? Hard to believe you would come all this way without knowing what you were looking for."

"I was looking for my friends," said TK dryly. "And it seems to me that you're not one of them any more."

"I really do appreciate you humans," said Jack bemusedly. "It must be bliss to be so simple; so blind. You can't even see me for what I am, what I represent."

"What's happened to you, Jack?" asked TK.

"I'm only going to explain this once," said Jack, his expression cold and heartless. "I am NOT the human you know. I 'dealt' with him appropriately when I commandeered this body of his! I am project Omega 002, version 7.0, designed with the same integrated survival/growth program as the creatures designated as 'digimon'. My coding matrix was completed by the programmer identified as 'Shibumi' as a specialized addition to project Omega 001, designated 'D-Reaper'. Project purpose: classified. Project history: classified. Project archetype: electronic pathogen. Project code name: the Genocide Virus."

"What are you talking about Jack?!" demanded TK.

"Th… that's not Jack," groaned Kari. "It's… something else."

"Quite right, my dear," said Jack; or rather whatever had taken his body. "In simple, human terms, you may call me the Genocide Virus. Of course, I feel like we've all gotten to know each other over the years. You can simply call me Geno."

"What kind of sick, twisted game is this?!" shouted Davis.

"Idiot," said Geno. "You can't even recognize me when you see me. Let me refresh your memory. I first encountered your little cadre four years ago when I had the luck of coming across a DigiEgg on the Internet. I'm sure we can all remember the results of THAT little experience. Since then, I've faced you as Kerpymon, Armagemon, and even Protomon. Mark my words, this WILL be the last time we will encounter each other."

"You…" said TK with a scowl. "You're the one behind all this. How do you keep surviving?!"

"Yeah," said Davis confidently. "It seems to me you're 0 for 4. Not a good track record."

"I'll admit it," said Geno. "Our past encounters have been somewhat less than stellar victories. But still, it only takes one real success. And by the looks of it, my victory this time is undeniable."

"We will beat you again," said TK. "No matter how many times it takes, we'll put a stop to once and for all."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to win this time," said Geno. "You see, this is my last chance. I've run out of leeway, and I can no longer afford to play around. None of you will survive the day."

TK, having apparently withstood all he could take, lunged at Geno; his arm pulled back to hit him in the face with a punch. However, in a flurry of speed, Geno seized TK's wrist as it approached and whipped him around, yanking TK up off his feet and throwing the boy over his shoulder before spinning around with incredible speed and striking him firmly on the torso with a devastating palm strike. TK was thrown back into the wall and knocked unconscious.

"Now where was I?" asked Geno. "Oh yes, I was about to say that, although this body has been greatly improved to easily overtake any human, it is still inadequate. My plan was to create a new, perfect body to hold my essence within it. However, when you boys came along you disrupted my work. You cost me the key to focussing the full power of the dark spore. For this you MUST suffer!"

Geno lifted the Crest of Corruption from around his neck. It began to glow hellish red. Gatomon and Patamon tried to go after him, but a red lightning bolt from the crest instantly struck them down. Davis tried to rush forward, but a pair of heavy arms from something immediately behind him closed over his chest and lifted him into the air. Davis struggled, looking over his shoulder as he did so. The emotionless, red, mechanical eye of Metaldracomon glared at him.

"Excellent, commander," said Geno. "Take them all to the cells."

"By your will, my liege," said Metaldracomon.

Geno quickly walked over to Kari, who was still unable to rise more than a few inches from the chair.

"Don't worry, my dear," said Geno, getting uncomfortably close to Kari's face. "I wouldn't want you to suffer too much, so I'll kill you first and save you the horror of watching your friends die."

Geno turned around and headed out of the room as Metaldracomon proceeded to gather the wounded DigiDestined.

"Victory at last," said Geno with a cruel smile.


	12. Surprise Attack

[Woo! I'm on a roll now! This chapter is out way early and I got some new pics! Go check out the crests of =Honor= and =Corruption=, and look for a pic of Geno, which should be up soon. As always, don't forget to review!]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Several hours passed before TK began to regain consciousness. His vision was very blurry, and he felt like a train had hit him… repeatedly. He'd have to make a mental note NOT to try and go up against Jack, or rather Geno, in a fistfight again. His head throbbed, but he slowly sat up and things began to focus.

"Hey, he's starting to come around," said Kari's voice.

Someone grabbed a hold of TK and helped him to lift himself up into a sitting position against the hard, steel wall. TK rubbed his head as he felt someone place their hand on his face and open his right eye open.

"Looks a little dazed," said Joe's voice. "TK, I need you to follow my finger."

Despite his blurred vision, TK managed to follow Joe's finger without too much difficulty as it traveled back and forth.

"Does he have a concussion?" asked Willis.

"Doesn't look like it," said Joe. "He's just lucky his head didn't hit the wall directly."

TK began to rub his eyes lazily as his vision slowly returned to normal.

"How long…?" groaned TK.

"About two hours," said Kari, who was leaning over him along with Joe and Davis.

"Where are we?" asked TK, trying to stand, but failing.

"Whoa there, tiger," said Joe. "You may not have a concussion, but I wouldn't recommend standing for a few minutes."

"We're in some kind of prison cell," said Davis.

TK looked around. The small room was pretty packed. In addition to himself and the three that stood immediately around him, there was Cody, Yolei, Michael, Willis, Izzy, Sora, and Mimi.

"Hey… where's Ken?" asked TK. "And what about Tai and Matt?"

"Tai and Matt were taken just a few minutes ago," said Izzy. "Apparently, our 'good friend' wanted to see them."

"And Ken?" asked TK.

"He's gone," said Yolei with tears in her eyes. "At least the Ken we know is."

"What do you mean?" asked TK.

"Something's happened to him," whispered Kari. "Seems like he's back to being the little emperor, and he's just as mean as ever."

"Wow…" said TK. "Jack… Stormdramon… Ken… How strong is this virus?!"

"Why are the really cute guys always evil?!" shrieked Yolei before breaking down into quiet sobs.

"Strong enough to corrupt the crests to their very core," said Izzy, taking no notice of Yolei. "I've theorized that it would be possible ever since the first time that Greymon digivolved to Skullgreymon."

"How do you mean?" asked TK.

"It's an ingenious, but rather complex plan," said Izzy. "The virus seems to have realized that for the strong positive qualities we possess, there is also an equally strong negative within each of us. Bringing these darker traits out would be almost impossible under normal circumstances, but from what I've been able to piece together, this base is equipped with a special machine that can tap into the darker emotions in the mind, bringing them out to their fullest. It's really quite similar to how the dark ocean works. Anyway, when these dark emotions are brought to life the crest that the individual bears becomes corrupted."

"But that still doesn't tell us HOW he got the crests in the first place," said Davis. "Didn't you guys say that you used them up to seal the Digiworld against evil a few years ago?"

"Yes, but that seal seems to have broken down," said Izzy. "It's reasonable to assume that once the crests lost the ability to defend against the onslaught of evil forces, they may have returned to the Digital World, once again in their physical state."

"Don't forget about the Crest of Kindness," said Cody. "It wasn't used to make the seal."

"Correct," said Izzy. "But it was used in an attempt to stop the emperor's base from exploding."

"But wasn't the base destroyed?" asked Joe.

"Completely," said Izzy. "However, there is still a great deal of wreckage in the area where it was put to rest, which I believe was in this very desert. Although much of the scrap is probably hidden beneath the sands by now, it is highly likely that the crest would have survived. It could have easily fallen into the hands of the virus, especially when you consider the army of machine digimon he has working for him."

"I see," said Cody. "So what happens to the people that have their crests corrupted?"

Izzy looked over at Sora, then Mimi.

"They lose themselves in their dark emotions," Izzy explained. "It was the same way with Tai and Matt. If TK and Davis hadn't interrupted, it might be the same for Kari."

"It was almost too late," said Kari.

"I'm glad you're safe," TK said with a smile.

"I don't get something," said Davis. "Why didn't this machine thingy work on me?"

"Well, I have a guess," said Izzy. "The machine feeds off dark emotions like anger, sorrow, and fear, amplifying them to the point of being overpowering. But, if you don't have any of those emotion to start with, then it doesn't have anything to work with."

"And that means…?" asked Davis.

"Ignorance is bliss," said Izzy.

"Hey, Kari," whispered TK while the others were busy. "I just thought you might want this back."

TK removed the silver bracelet from his pants pocket and handed it to Kari. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before putting it back on her wrist.

"…probably because I don't have a crest," said Michael. "At least not that I know of."

"Well what about Willis?" asked Davis. "I KNOW he has a crest!"

"Maybe…" Izzy mused. "I notice that you two both have golden crests. Miracles and Destiny, right?"

"Right," said Willis.

"Well neither of you seem to have been corrupted," said Izzy.

"Oh I get it!" exclaimed Willis. "Some inherit property in the crests themselves must make them immune to corruption!"

"It's entirely possible," said Izzy. "It supports my theory behind the golden crests."

"What about them?" asked Willis.

Just as Izzy was about to drone on about another one of his countless hypotheses, Kari got a very strange look in her eyes, as though she wasn't quite all there.

"Kari?" asked TK with a concerned expression. "What's the matter?"

"They're here…" said Kari. "I can… feel them."

"Who is?" asked Michael.

"Wait…" said Kari, closing her eyes tight. "It's not a 'them', it's more like a 'him'. And yet, I can still feel four minds, all part of a greater whole."

"That doesn't make any sense, Kari," said TK. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Izzy, could that machine have done something to her?"

"It's conceivable…" said Izzy. "But I don't see—"

"I'm not imagining this," said a strangely calm Kari. "There is a being here of immense power. He… er, they are calling to me. They need our help."

"Well in case you haven't noticed," Cody said. "We could use a little of that ourselves."

Elsewhere, in the base's command center, Jack stared down at the central console. He removed the dark sunglasses from his coat pocket and placed them on his face, letting them ride a little low. He ran his fingers through his hair, which had grown a great deal longer after so much time without a haircut. Ken, in full imperial dress, stood directly behind him. Stormdramon had coiled up to Jack, resting his head on the human's shoulder, almost snakelike in his manner. The rest of the room was bustling with several Datamon and Hagurumon.

"Master, all is as planned," said the Emperor. "The DigiDestined have been effectively neutralized, and the two you wished to see are en route now."

"True, that is a victory," said Geno morosely. "But without that crest, all of our work may have been in vain. Now that the DigiDestined are aware of us they will be more resistant to the machine than ever."

"Relax," said Stormdramon soothingly. "We planned this too carefully to let it fall apart now. We still have our backup plan."

"Yes…" Geno said with a hint of irritation. "But carrying it out will be far more costly, time consuming, and dangerous to ourselves."

"Um, excuse me, sir," said a timid Datamon. "But it seems we have a problem."

"What is it now?!" demanded Geno.

"It seems our scan of the human female was incomplete," said the Datamon. "We were able to transcribe only 57.4% of her data. The Vanguard insists on having all data in order to proceed with the experiment."

"I don't see the problem," said Ken. "Just plug her in again and finish the scan."

"It's not that easy, my boy," said Geno. "After the first scan with the device, an individual's resistance to it is increased. Her resistance was already quite high, and now I fear that completing the scan would take days, if not weeks."

"I have the perfect solution," said Stormdramon. "Not only will it get the Vanguard off our backs, but it will be quick and painless."

"Explain," said Geno.

"Simply fill in the blanks with data from the only other scan we completed," said Stormdramon. "No fuss, no muss."

"What other scan?" asked Ken.

"This was before you came into the fold," said Geno. "We performed a scan of my new body; it was very quick since I did not resist. The scan revealed that with my presence this body had almost doubled its individual strength, and thus possesses a power second only to the female."

"Perfect," said the Emperor with a little laugh. "And I take it the Vanguard never need know of this?"

"Of course not," said Geno. "They'll never need the data anyway; I DON'T plan on losing."

Just then, the door behind them slid open.

"Our guests have arrived," said Geno, standing up.

Andromon stood in the doorway, pushing Tai and Matt along in front of him. All three of them entered the room and the door shut behind them. Both humans looked worse for wear; their clothes were dirty and in need of repair, their hair was messy, and their eyes were bloodshot. Geno stood very confidently with the Emperor and Stormdramon at his back.

"All right you computer glitch," Matt said angrily. "What do you want with us?"

"Rude as always," said Geno. "I thought we could just shoot the breeze for a while."

"I'll tell you what I'd like to shoot," said Tai.

"So I guess small talk is out then," said Geno. "Fine. I'll get right to the heart of the matter; I want you both dead. But it's so much more than that. I want you to suffer, to feel pain. I want you to experience what I had to go through when you and I first met. You wouldn't believe how much it hurts to have a blade shoved through your head. I was very lucky to be able to escape to the real world after that, believe me. You can't possibly imagine what it's like to be stuck in the void between worlds for nearly a thousand years. But I will make you understand, oh yes."

"You're a lunatic," said Matt. "Don't think for a second that you'll beat me."

"I already have," said Geno, his eyes slowly fading into being completely white. "Even now, I stand on the very brink of absolute power. I can almost taste the untapped energies that lay before me, waiting for revival, awaiting me. I am ready to ascend, to go far beyond any other, to reach out and touch the oldest power in this plane of existence! I shall gain absolute power, and once I do, NONE shall dispute my reign EVER again! I shall not allow the DigiDestined, or the Overseers, or the Vanguard, or ANYONE to block my path! Even _HE_ will fall under my yoke, and through _him _I will become the ONE and ONLY God! I will BURN the old worlds away, and set up in their place a new, SINGLE world, a world that shall bow to ONE throne! And from that throne, **I** shall watch over you!!!"

"I don't think so!" said a strong, mechanical voice behind Geno.

Geno swiveled around on his heel, finding himself looking up at Andromon, who immediately grabbed him in a powerful bear-hug. Andromon lifted him off the floor and maintained a firm hold, threatening to crush his ribs. Before anyone could act, the door was smashed open by a very heavy bone club belonging to none other than Ogremon. The great green digimon immediately rushed in and clocked two Hagurumon. Once Ogremon had cleared the door a small squad of Kunemon rushed in, using their Electric Thread to short out the Datamon and remaining Hagurumon. Ken and Stormdramon found themselves surrounded by unfriendly opponents as Andromon maintained his death-grip on Geno. Needless to say, Tai and Matt were left completely speechless.

"What are you two still standing around for?!" demanded Ogremon. "Let's get the heck outta' here!"

"Shouldn't we stay?" asked Tai, snapping back to reality. "I mean, it looks to me like we just captured the entire leadership of this place."

"No," grunted Andromon as Geno continued to struggle. "There's no way I can hold him for long! You must find the others quickly!"

"You won't get very far!" yelled Stormdramon. "Our troops have every inch of this base under guard. You can't hope to win!"

"Fall back, troops!" commanded Ogremon. "That includes you two guys."

"Right!" said Matt and Tai.

"I must remain here!" Andromon grunted. "You all should leave now! And Tai… tell your sister that I am sorry I didn't get to see her again."

"…Andromon?" asked Tai, realizing that this was in fact his friend from so long ago.

"C'mon!" shouted Ogremon, grabbing both Tai and Matt and dragging them out into the hall.


	13. Friends, Both Old and New

[Okay, sorry it's a little late, but I was, and continue to be EXTREMELY bitter about having missed the season finale to digimon (stupid ACTs, stupid VCR) but I still have the next part ready, so enjoy!]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"What's the big idea?!" shouted Matt as the door closed behind them.

"I'm saving your butts!" growled Ogremon. "Now follow me! We've got to go get your friends!"

"But what about—" said Tai.

"Andromon knows what he's doing," said Ogremon. "And he's got the Kunemon to back him up, so don't worry."

"Well… alright," said Tai. "Lead the way."

While those three headed off into the darkness, Andromon continued to struggle with Geno in the command center.

"You traitor," grunted Geno, who was still being held firmly by Andromon. "How could you betray me like this?!"

"I never betrayed you," said Andromon, struggling to keep Geno in control. "…Since I was never with you at all!"

"I can't believe I fell for such a ruse," said Geno. "You will pay for this."

"You fell for it because you were too confident," said Andromon. "Your pride has crushed your ambition."

"Not quite yet," said Geno. "The DigiDestined are still scattered, and they don't have their digivices. I still hold the five dark crests. They will not survive the day."

"Andromon!" shouted the emperor. "I demand you release him at once! Don't forget that you served me as well!"

"Your actions have condemned you, Andromon," hissed Stormdramon. "Now you will die."

"Hold yourself, Stomdramon," said Geno. "I can handle this."

"Troops!" shouted Andromon to the Kunemon, who had encircled the four of them. "Leave us now!"

"As you wish, sir," said the Kunemon, quickly vacating the room.

"You only saved them for a short while," said Geno. "I'll hunt them down soon enough. None of you will leave this facility alive."

"You're wrong," said Andromon. "Even now, our forced are moving in on your most guarded vaults. You may be strong, but with Stormdramon here, and Megadramon and Gigadramon unable to fight within the base, your forces shall fall. The white DigiEgg is as good as ours."

Geno's eyes went wide, realizing his fatal error. His expression then turned to anger as his crest began to glow with a fiery light. Only now did he realize that having the DigiEgg here had acted like a homing beacon, drawing in digimon from all over the Digital World. Infuriated, he shot a bolt of incredibly destructive red lightning from his crest, piercing Andromon's mechanical body and shredding it away. Geno was free and Andromon lay on the ground with little more than his upper torso, head, and bits of his arms remaining.

"My life… is a small price to pay…" said Andromon, his voice growing slower. "…to defeat you. G…A…M…E… O…V…E…R… virus."

The light in Andromon's eyes faded out. His body relaxed, as bits of data began to break off.

"What are you waiting for?!" demanded Geno of his two companions. "Get out there and stop this little insurrection before it gets any worse!"

A short time later, the DigiDestined that were still imprisoned began to hear the sounds of battle reverberating throughout the surrounding corridors.

"What's going on out there?" asked Davis.

"I don't know," said Kari. "But I'm sure Tai is in the middle of it."

"Well, whatever works," said Joe. "I just hope it gets us out of here."

"Battle!" shouted a voice in the next cell over.

"Sounds like Keramon is awake again," said Yolei. "That's the last thing we need. If we get free and Geno doesn't kill us, the Keramon sure will."

"RELEASE ME!" screamed Keramon, slamming his body all around in his tiny prison.

"We've got to get out there and help," said Kari. "Hey, can our digimon hear us?"

"If they could, chances are we'd have heard from them by now," said Cody.

"Based on your description of these cells, I don't think it's soundproofing," said Izzy. "I would assume that either our digimon have been moved, they've been sedated, or…"

"No need to finish that sentence," said Michael somberly.

They were all quiet for the moment, but the sounds of Keramon's raging and those of battle continued.

"Here it is!" said a muffled voice from outside.

"It's locked!" said a second voice. "I can't get it open!"

"Looks like it needs a code to unlock," said the first. "Do you think we should ask someone?"

"No time," said the second. "Let's just blow it open."

"Who's out there?!" yelled TK.

"Don't worry DigiDestined!" shouted back the first voice. "Just back away from the door and we'll have you out of there in no time!"

They all moved to the back of the room, although Mimi and Sora did require a little extra prodding.

"Okay!" shouted TK. "Go ahead!"

"Here we go!" said the first voice.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then the group noticed that the door was starting to glow slightly red in the middle. This red spot quickly grew in size and intensity, and pretty soon the whole door was red-hot. The intense heat caused the metal to rapidly expand, creating steam and creaking noises. A few bolts and rivets were even blown off, but fortunately they didn't hit anyone. After nearly a minute of this, two areas of the door right next to each other were white-hot, and then a pair of fiery hands broke through. With impressive strength, the hands seized onto the door and yanked it from the wall, frame and all, and threw it into the corridor. The dust settled, revealing their savior: Meramon.

"Good to see you all again," said Meramon, stepping into the room. "It's been a while."

"Sure has," said Joe. "I think the last time we saw each other was the battle with Piedmon."

"Yeah, those were some crazy times," said Meramon.

"Excuse me!" yelled the other voice, still in the hall. "There's no time for these happy reunions!"

"He's right," said Meramon. "Quickly, you DigiDestined must come with me."

The whole group quickly went out into the hall, where Meramon's partner, a short digimon in a purple hat and cape with his back to them was fiddling with the door opposite their own cell.

"Aha! Got it!" exclaimed the digimon as a spark shot up from where he was working.

The door opened and he turned around, giving the others a thumbs-up.

"Wizardmon!" exclaimed Kari, instantly recognizing her old friend.

"In the flesh," said Wizardmon. "But we can talk later. Let's get your digimon now."

The whole group rushed in to the room. Meramon stood guard and Wizardmon rushed to Gatomon along with Kari. The other DigiDestined all ran to their respective digimon, who were passed out on the ground.

"Tentomon!" Izzy called as he shook his friend.

"Wake up buddy," said Joe to Gomamon.

"Snap out of it guys," said Willis, picking up both of his digimon and shaking them around.

"Well now what?" asked Cody, hunched over Armadillomon.

"Don't worry," said Wizardmon, standing upright. "I can wake them up."

Wizardmon held his right hand out in front of him with the middle and index fingers extended. A small sphere of white light appeared in front of them, and he closed his eyes. In one quick motion, he spun around in a complete circle, raising his hand over his head as he did so and leaving a trail of white light. With his hand extended straight up over his head, Wizardmon snapped his fingers, creating a momentary gust of wind to rush up from beneath him, accompanied by a brilliant flash of light. The digimon all woke up immediately, their eyes shooting open.

"What happened?" asked Gatomon, sitting up and rubbing her head.

"Just a little spell I picked up along the way," said Wizardmon.

"Gatomon, you're awake!" said Kari, embracing her friend.

"Good to see you again pal!" said Davis, rubbing Veemon's head.

"Did ya' miss me?" asked TK.

"Of course I did!" said Patamon.

"Hey, where's Tai?" asked Agumon.

"And Matt?" asked Gabumon.

"And Ken?" added Wormmon.

"Uh… they're not with us right now," said Izzy.

"Sora?" asked Biyomon. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Sora flatly. "Don't bother me."

"Are you okay, Mimi?" asked Palmon.

"No I'm not okay!" said Mimi. "I've been stuck in that dreadful little box for days and now everyone expects me to go after some evil creep! Well I'm not doing it! The only place I'm going is home! I want a nice bath! I want a decent bed! I want real food! I want…"

"This could go on for a while," said Davis.

"Wizardmon, is there anything you can do for them?" asked Kari.

"What's the problem?" asked Wizardmon.

"The virus did something to their crests, and now they're like this," said Kari. "Can you help?"

"I'm afraid not," said Wizardmon. "The crests do not control the person's emotions. It's the person's emotions that control the crest. What has been done, has been done to them. In order to resolve their conflict, it must be resolved within them."

"Wizardmon!" called Meramon. "This is no time for a tea party! Let's get going!"

"He's right," said Wizardmon. "Come on, we have to move."

"Right," said the others.

They all ducked out into the hall and headed for the exit. However, Kari stopped after a few feet and grabbed Willis by the shirt, bringing him to a stop as well. She had that look in her eyes again.

"Willis," said Kari. "You must go to him. We need him just as much as he needs us."

"But… who… how?" stammered Willis.

"You know who I'm talking about," said Kari. "Just trust me. We need him. Now go to him."

Willis nodded and began walking back in the direction they had just come from.

"What are you doing?" asked Davis, turning to his friend.

"Something that I should've done a long time ago," said Willis. "Terriermon! Lopmon! I need your help!"

"With what?" asked the brothers.

"Think you can open the door to Keramon's cell?" asked Willis.

"Are you NUTS?!" shouted Izzy. "Don't you think we have enough problems to deal with already?!"

"Look, I don't know how to explain it," said Willis. "It's just… Keramon is my creation. I'm responsible for everything he's been through. I think we should at least meet while we have the chance."

"So there's no way to talk you down?" asked Izzy.

"Afraid not," said Willis.

"Then we'll be right behind you," said Izzy.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Willis. "Ready guys?"

"Ready!" said the twin digimon, who stood in front of Keramon's door.

"Fire!" shouted Willis.

Both digimon opened their mouths wide, sucking in air. Terriermon and Lopmon formed green and pink spheres of energy in front of their mouths respectively. Once fully charged, they both fired their Bunny Blasts. The simultaneous attack blew through the door, leaving a hole easily large enough for Willis and his two digimon to pass through. The others all remained outside, clearly on guard.

"Uh… Keramon?" asked Willis, slowly walking forward.

Keramon was standing at the rear of the cell. His face was shadowy, and he was breathing in rapidly. He had a sinister glint in his eye, and an aggressive posture.

"Data…" grumbled Keramon upon seeing Terriermon and Lopmon. "Must feed!"

"Keramon! Stop!" commanded Willis before Keramon could rush the two Rookies. "I'm not going to let you have them."

"So hungry…" said Keramon. "Getting tired. Must consume."

"Well you can't hurt them," said Willis. "They're my friends."

"If… if no eat, then die."

"Don't worry. I promise that as soon as we get you outta' here I'll get you a steak the size of your head."

"No meat," said Keramon. "Only data. If no get data, then you must destroy. Destroy…"

"I don't understand," said Willis, leaning in close and looking Keramon in the eyes.

"Destoy… me…"

"But why, Keramon? Why does it have to be like this?"

"Pain… so much pain. Both caused and received. Want vengeance, but also want rest. Want freedom."

"I'm sorry," Willis said sullenly, looking away. "I'm so sorry. I should've never tried to create you. Look what it's gotten us. You've been a slave to that maniacal virus for most of your life, and now you're just a poor, lost, tortured soul."

"No cry…" said Keramon. "No hate you for creating. Hate virus for destroying."

"Does that mean…?"

"Destroy…" said Keramon. "Destroy… VIRUS…"

Elsewhere in the facility, Stormdramon had once again digivolved to his Ultimate form, and he was on the warpath. In one of the larger corridor hubs, he was engaged in battle alongside three Mekanorimon. With one whip of his tail he mercilessly sliced through four Mushroomon, clearing the room of opponents.

"This room is clear," said Metaldracomon. "Let's move on."

"Not so fast," said a voice from the darkened hallway ahead.

"Another challenger has come to face me?" asked Metaldracomon. "I just love it when they fall right into my hands like this."

"You will not find me such easy prey," said the figure stepping into the light.

Six inches tall, fluffy and pink with dainty wings, carrying a spear, and now clad in a bandana, a pair of army boots, and with ammo belts strapped across his torso, there stood Piximon.

"Bring it on," said Piximon.

"Gladly," said Metaldracomon. "Mekanorimon! Eliminate this… pest!"

The three Mekanorimon charged at Piximon, but he quickly launched a counterattack, slicing each of them apart with his razor-sharp spear. All three were reduced to scrap in a couple seconds, leaving Metaldracomon to face the pint-sized powerhouse alone.

"It's been a while," said Piximon. "I remember the days when I trained you. You were my most talented student, but now just look at what you've become."

"Strange," said Metaldracomon. "I don't remember you at all. I think you're lying about having trained me."

"Oh, that's right," said Piximon as if remembering something. "I remember Gennai telling me you'd lost your memories. That's a shame, since now you can't remember that you never beat me even once."

"I doubt that somehow," said Metaldracomon.

"You shouldn't," said Piximon. "I've had many students a lot stronger than you, and I can still whip each and every one of them."

"And yet you were overcome by the Dark Masters with such ease."

"I don't know what you've heard, but why do you think they all came after me together? They knew that I could still waste them in a one-on-one fight. And remember that THEY were Megas. But now, I'm back and tough as ever. Those guys are still pushing up daisies, and as far as I'm concerned, that's the way it's going to stay."

"Your boasts will get you nowhere, old mon," said Metaldracomon. "I think it's time you put away your words and tested your metal instead."

"You still have a lot to learn, boy," said Piximon. "Lucky for you I'm willing to teach."

Piximon immediately threw off his ammo belts, bandana, and boots to relieve himself of the encumbrance they provided. He stretched out his arms for a moment before gripping his spear firmly.

"Ready?" asked Piximon.

"No games," said Metaldracomon. "I play for keeps."

Metaldracomon lunged forward.


	14. Open Revolt

At last, I can upload my next chapter. It's just been one thing after another lately, but I plan to make up for it by posting three, count 'em THREE chapters over the next three days. I've also got a surprise where my pics are being displayed. It should be up soon, and I hope you enjoy it. Now that that's out of the way, let's continue our little story. Last time, Tai and Matt were rushing back towards their friends with Ogremon, The other DigiDestined had been rescued by Wizardmon and Meramon, and Piximon had launched into a real knock-down, drag-out bout with Metaldracomon. And so, without further ado…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Turn right at the next corner!" shouted Ogremon.

Ogremon and his two human companions were running down the hall at breakneck speed with Ogremon brining up the rear. A Tankmon was rapidly approaching from behind, and boy did he look mad. The three of them turned around the corner just as Tankmon fired, sending a shell sailing down the hall before crashing after nearly a hundred yards with an explosive impact.

"Keep running!" shouted Ogremon.

Neither Tai nor Matt had any interest in disobeying that order. They kept on running until Ogremon suddenly skidded to a halt. They turned to him, giving him a quizzical look.

"There's a door just around the corner on your left," said Ogremon. "You two go in there. I'll handle this guy."

"Whatever you say," said Tai.

The two humans followed Ogremon's instructions as Tankmon came barreling down the hall with his main weapon aimed directly at Ogremon. The green monster stood his ground though, ready to duke it out with Tankmon. Meanwhile, Tai and Matt had found their way into the room they had been directed to. In fact, it was a long hallway, and their friends were all there waiting for them.

"Tai!" shouted Agumon.

"You guys are alright!" cheered Gabumon.

"Perfect," said Wizardmon. "Now with those two here, we can finally mount a real attack."

"Wizardmon?" asked Tai.

"Yes, yes," said Meramon. "He's alive, get over it. We have precious little time to spare. We have to hurry."

"Hold it," said Matt. "I'm not going anywhere until I hear exactly what's going on."

"I should think it would be fairly obvious," said Wizardmon. "You don't honestly think that the virus could run an operation on this kind of scale without a few people noticing, do you? Andromon quickly realized the gravity of the situation, and he came here to act as a spy for us until we could get our forces organized. Unfortunately, the virus acted so quickly that we could only scrape together a small force. Still, we had to act when we did, or all would have been lost."

"Andromon is probably dead by now," Matt said coldly. "Trapped in a room with Geno, the Emperor, and Stormdramon isn't exactly the best way to stay alive."

"I see," muttered Meramon. "The loss of Andromon may prove devastating to our cause."

"Don't give up yet," said Wizardmon. "We still have the chief to take care of things."

"The chief?" asked the others all at once.

"Piximon," said Wizardmon. "One of the greatest digimon fighters of all time."

"Piximon…" said Mimi.

"Yes, Piximon," said Meramon. "But even he can't win this war on his own. He'll need you all to—"

At that moment, Ogremon landed heavily on his feet just outside the corridor. Tankmon came charging at him, but Ogremon pushed back with all his savage, brute strength. Both combatants were locked in an intense battle, both of them straining against each other. Tankmon's treads spun against the ground fruitlessly while Ogremon's sinewy arms bulged under the stresses, his veins swelling and his tendons creaking. He grunted loudly as Tankmon continued to make mechanical whirring noises. Upon seeing the two fighters, Keramon's mouth began to water.

"Food?" asked Keramon, looking up at Willis.

"Well… I guess so," said Willis, returning Keramon's glance. "Just make sure you only eat the one that's made of metal. Don't touch the big, scaly, green guy."

Keramon smiled voraciously, lunging forward with his tentacles flailing about him. Tankmon swatted Ogremon away and turned his head just in time to see Keramon's approach. The lumbering monster moved out of the way just in time to avoid a full-on head-butt from Keramon. Keramon quickly recovered and turned to attack Tankmon once again, only to be met with a hail of gunfire from his arm-mounted machine guns. Keramon dodged left and right, but was inevitably struck a few times, forcing him to back off. While Tankmon was distracted, Ogremon brought his bone club smashing down on his back, leaving a huge dent in his plated armor. This really only served to infuriate Tankmon even more. He turned both of his arm guns on Ogremon and began to fire. He topped the assault off with a blast from his nose gun. Ogremon was thrown back against the far wall, bruised and battered but still alive. Not wanting to be caught off guard again, Tankmon swiveled back to Keramon, only to find that the Rookie wasn't even there. His eyes dodged back and forth, seeking his prey. But slowly, they came to rest on his nose, where Keramon lay. With his tentacles thoroughly wrapped around Tankmon's nose gun, Keramon opened his grinning mouth wide and fired his Bug Blaster directly into Tankmon's eyes. One after another, the pulsating spheres of red light pounded Tankmon in the face, sending up dust and debris and causing the mechanical monster to flail about wildly. Keramon dropped to the ground and eyed Tankmon's stomach. Keramon, with that same crazy smile he always had, latched onto Tankmon's chest plate with his mouth. One swift bite later, Tankmon found a small hole in his stomach, and Keramon was gulping down the metal plate as metal shavings splintered off from his vicious, animalistic eating style. Once he finished with his appetizer, Keramon dove into the wound headfirst and the rest of his body slithering in behind him, looking for the main course.

"Whoa…" said Willis.

Tankmon remained motionless for a moment, a look of shock frozen on his face. But then he completely lost control of his body. His arms flailed about and his treads jerked back and forth. His upper body shook violently until he slumped forward and shut down. The DigiDestined then watched as his data destabilized and broke apart, only to be sucked up by Keramon as though he were slurping down a really long noodle. Once he had ingested all of Tankmon's data, Keramon let out a satisfied belch. He looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly his eyes grew wide. His body began to shake and glow.

"Keramon?" asked Willis. "Are you okay?"

"This doesn't look good!" said Yolei. "I told you that guy was bad news!"

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Keramon. "Keramon, digivolve to… Kurisarimon!"

With a bright flash of light, Keramon digivolved to his Champion form. He floated there in the air, tentacles swishing about, projecting from his super-dense exoskeleton.

"Wow…" said Willis. "He digivolved."

"I think we've just found a valuable ally," said Meramon.

"Definitely," said Wizardmon. "If all he needs to digivolve is to eat some data, then I'd say Geno has set up a nice, big buffet for him. Now we've got an ace up our sleeve."

"We haven't got the time to just hang around here," warned Meramon.

"You are correct," said Wizardmon, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a pair of old digivices. "Tai, Matt; I believe these belong to you."

"What do you want us to do with these?" asked Tai.

"Simple," said Wizardmon. "You two need to go face Geno, or at least keep him busy. Those were the only two digivices I was able to secure, so the rest of us will retrieve the others, and we might as well pick up that DigiEgg while we're at it."

"Uh, I really don't like the sound of that," said Tai. "I really, really, really think it would be a bad idea to send just the two of us up against that guy. There's no way we can beat him! Before I was kinda' lost in the moment, but now that I stop to think about it, wouldn't it just be a lot safer to just get out of here as quickly as we can?"

"I'll go," said Matt. "I need to pay him back for the way he treated me. Just don't stick me with Tai. I can handle it on my own."

"What's with you two?" asked TK.

"It's their crests," said Wizardmon. "They haven't yet recovered from what the virus did to them. Still, they're the best shot we have at distracting Geno."

"But are you sure?" asked Davis. "Can we actually send them into battle like this?"

"We don't have a choice," said Wizardmon. "Agumon! Gabumon! Watch over your partners. They'll need your help now more than ever."

"Right," said Agumon and Gabumon.

"Tai, I know you're scared," said Kari. "Just do this for me. You can do it, I know you can."

"Well, I guess," Tai said hesitantly. "But you'd better come help out as soon as you can."

"Matt?" asked TK. "I know it'll be hard, but you've got to work with Tai on this one."

"Fine," huffed Matt. "Just tell him not to get in my way."

"So are we ready?" asked Meramon.

"Good to go," said Gabumon.

"More food?" asked Kurisarimon, his voice a little more sane than it had been previously.

"You got it," said Willis.

"Count me in," said Ogremon as he stood up and wiped the blood from his face.

"Then let's head out!" said Gomamon.

Elsewhere, the sounds of battle rang loud and clear. The pounding noise of metal striking metal reverberated throughout the dank hallways. Two highly skilled opponents were locked in a seemingly endless battle for their lives. Metaldracomon's claw pierced the ground where Piximon had stood just a moment before. Piximon reappeared behind the vile behemoth and made a powerful swing with his spear, only to have it blocked at the last second by Metaldracomon's free claw. With Piximon momentarily stunned, Metaldracomon dragged his other claw from the ground and slammed it into Piximon from the side. Piximon was knocked to the ground, bounced once, did a perfect flip, and landed on his feet in a fighting stance. Metaldracomon wasted no time charging swiftly and determinedly. He sliced at the tiny Piximon, but the nimble little Ultimate dodged back a few steps. Metaldracomon took another rapid step forward and sliced in with the other claw, but Piximon dodged again in the same manner. This continued a few more times with Metaldracomon slicing, Piximon dodging, and Metaldracomon coming in again. Finally, once Metaldracomon had Piximon up against the wall, he made one last thrust with his left claw, but Piximon dodged, bounced off the wall, and did a flip over Metaldracomon's head. The instant Piximon landed, Metaldracomon slammed his powerful tail into the ground where Piximon landed, but Piximon rolled out of the way just in time and got off to a running start. Metaldracomon spun around and fired his Mecha Claw at Piximon. Piximon sensed the approaching attack, and he quickly turned on his heel and dodged under the pointed blades at the tip of Metaldracomon's claw. He then proceeded to grab the heavy chain of the claw and he gave it a hearty pull. Metaldracomon was so caught off guard by this that he couldn't resist the force of Piximon's maneuver and was pulled through the air at an alarming rate. Once Metaldracomon was in close enough, Piximon booted the beast in the chin, putting a sudden stop to his flight. Piximon backed it up with a potent punch to the stomach before ramming the full strength of his body into Metaldracomon's chest. Metaldracomon was thrown back and skidded along the ground. Shakily, he reopened his eyes and retracted his claw.

"I must say, I'm impressed," said Metaldracomon. "Your reputation is certainly well earned."

"I'm just getting warmed up," said Piximon, cracking a smile.

"Well I hope you're all stretched then," said Metaldracomon. "Because I'm ready to get down to the real fight."

"I'm ready any time you are."

Metaldracomon leaped to his feet. Moving with practically obscene speed, he charged at Piximon, his claws ready to tear him to shreds. Piximon leaped into the air and easily countered, deflecting every blow with his spear. Their movements were utterly graceful, and the speed with which they moved made the whole scene like a blur. Dodging, slicing, blocking… it was like a ballet. Every move was flawless. They moved around the room rapidly as they dueled, and that was really what this had become. It was a duel. With every blow their movements grew quicker. Every blow they threw at each other was either deflected or dodged. Piximon's small size and incredible agility was a huge advantage for him, but Metaldracomon's sheer power and unnatural speed also served him well. Piximon's moves consisted largely of spins and flips. He dodged one claw, spun around and hit the other with his spear, and then spun around again in the other direction to block a blow from the first. When the second claw attacked again he did a back flip into the air, but Metaldracomon performed a rapid spin of his own, lashing out at Piximon with his tail once again. Piximon was just barely able to dodge the attack, but he did it nonetheless. Once he landed, Piximon forcefully extended his free hand at Metaldracomon and yelled, sending ripples of some unseen energy through the air. Metaldracomon was knocked back momentarily, but he swiftly retaliated by sweeping the ground with his foot. Piximon jumped into the air, but Metaldracomon finished his sweep in came in with a kick at Piximon from where he still sat on the ground. Piximon backed out of the way and Metaldracomon finished his second spin, standing up as he did so and thrusting his right claw at Piximon. Piximon grabbed onto the claw and used it to pull himself forward, throwing his feet into Metaldracomon's impenetrable gut. Metaldracomon was stunned, but not out. He swiftly elbowed Piximon in the top of the skull and punted him across the room. Piximon caught himself though, landing softly on the opposite wall and just staying there, glaring at Metaldracomon. Both combatants were breathing rapidly and sweat had begun to bead on their skin.

"Pretty impressive, kid," said Piximon. "It's a shame Gennai couldn't see you. You're in rare form today."

"Enough of this!" shouted Metaldracomon. "I'm THROUGH playing around with you! It's time to DIE!"

The crosshairs in Metaldracomon's right eye glowed as they locked in on Piximon. Metaldracomon swung his right arm into position, shaking from the struggle. The large red jewel on his chest was glowing brightly.

"GIGA FLARE!!!"


	15. The Countdown Begins

The bolt of energy sliced through the air like a blade, blowing all the floating debris from its path. Piximon was stunned by the power of the attack. A mere instant before the blast would tear him apart, Piximon snapped back to reality and lunged out of its path of destruction, chucking his spear at Metaldracomon as he did so. Though the attack didn't hit him directly, the full force of the heat blast and the shock wave struck Piximon head-on. Piximon was slammed back into the wall with singes covering his whole body. He slumped to the ground. Meanwhile, Metaldracomon failed to dodge Piximon's last-ditch effort. The tiny spear pierced his chest plate and lodged itself in his abdomen. The spearhead had punctured all the way through Metaldracomon's body, with the blade jutting from his back and the blunt end still resting in front of his gut. Sparks of electricity swirled around the wound as Metaldracomon stared down in utter shock. Slowly, he collapsed to one leg before completely losing it. Metaldracomon fell facedown. His left eye closed as the robotic right one faded into blackness.

"I'm sorry," grunted Piximon. "I wish it didn't have to be like this, but I had no choice."

Piximon rose to his feet and slowly walked over to Metaldracomon's body, dragging his left foot limply. He grabbed the tip of his spear and pulled it from Metaldracomon's body cavity. This apparently ruptured something in the body, sending a spurt of blood and oil out and coating Piximon in it. Piximon took little notice of this before proceeding on, deeper into the base.

Elsewhere, Wizardmon, along with Meramon, Ogremon, Joe, Izzy, Yolei, Cody, TK, Kari, Mimi, Sora, Davis, Willis, Michael, and their digimon were all moving swiftly down the halls.

"Are you sure we're headed the right way?" asked TK.

"Positive," said Davis, who was at the head of the group. "Would you just trust me for once?"

No sooner had Davis said this than they turned one last corner and found themselves facing a dead-end.

"Well that's just excellent," said TK unenthusiastically.

"Way to go, Davis," said Yolei.

"Hmm…" Davis mused. "Maybe that first turn should've been a right… Or maybe…"

"I believe our most logical course of action would be to search for a computer terminal," said Izzy. "If we can access the system, I believe I should be able to call up a map of the base."

"Nonsense," said Ogremon. "I'll just smash a path through this wall and we can just keep going until we find what we're looking for."

"That won't work, bone-brain!" scolded Wizardmon. "We have to think of a strategy here!"

"Hungry!" shouted Kurisarimon. "Need find enemies right NOW!"

"Well that's a brilliant suggestion," said Terriermon. "While we're at it, why don't we go play in a microwave?!"

"Quiet bunny!" grumbled Kurisarimon. "Maybe I eat YOU next!"

"SHUT UP!!!" yelled Kari at the top of her lungs.

Everyone did as they were told immediately. Kari almost never got really angry, but when she did it was obviously a good idea to listen to what she had to say. She looked like she was trying to concentrate. Her eyes were shut tight and her muscles were all tensed up. Her eyebrow twitched a couple times.

"What is it?" asked TK softly.

"It's… here…" said Kari.

Slowly, she reopened her eyes. One by one, a cluster of tiny, golden points of light appeared a few feet in front of the group, just floating there. Then, more of the tiny clusters appeared all around them, slowly moving towards the primary one.

"Whoa…" gasped TK.

"How peculiar," said Izzy, examining one of the nearby clumps of light.

"Are these things… alive?" asked Joe.

"I have no idea," said Ogremon. "I've never seen anything like these."

"Well they seem to like me," said Davis as one of the points of light sat on the end of his nose.

"How odd," said Cody.

Cody reached out and gave one of the clusters a slight touch. The points of light shone brighter for an instant before calming down again.

"Kari, are you doing this?" asked TK.

Kari didn't answer. She just continued staring at the main cluster, which was continuing to grow in size.

"I see…" Wizardmon mused. "So it's happened."

"What has?" asked Gatomon.

"Kari's unusual power…" said Wizardmon. "It has been reawakened."

"Her power?" asked TK. "You mean all the weird stuff that happened years ago? I thought that was gone for good."

"I believe it was merely sleeping," said Wizardmon. "Her power must have gone into hibernation when it was no longer needed. Something must have caused it to suddenly wake up, and now it seems even stronger than before."

"I think I get it," said Patamon. "When we found Kari, she was hooked up to that weird machine. Could that cause this?"

"It seems like a safe assumption," said Wizardmon. "But no matter how it happened, her mysterious power has returned. We must utilize it if we hope to win the day."

"But how do we do that?" asked TK.

"Shh…" Kari hushed. "It's almost done."

The last of the points of light joined into the ball in front of them. They all suddenly glowed much brighter and began to take on a form. Kari extended her hands, and the glowing entity quickly alighted on them. It was most definitely a curious sight. The creature stood no more than eighteen inches tall, and its entire body radiated a strange golden light. It had small arms and legs, big, black eyes, and comparatively huge ears. It also had some kind of odd, curling antennae, but most fascinating was the glowing red design on its forehead.

"What is it?" asked Michael, apparently in awe of the creature.

"Incredible," said Meramon. "It's a digignome."

"What's a digignome?" asked Willis. "Is it some kind of digimon?"

"No, not digimon," said Wizardmon, getting a closer look at the creature. "They are far older than any digimon, including Protomon. No one is entirely sure as to the true nature of these creatures."

"But why would it be out here?" asked Ogremon. "I thought those things were supposed to hang around the great axis."

"They are," said Wizardmon in a worried tone. "But even more troubling is the fact that this one exists at all. From what I heard, the digignomes all disappeared months ago when they aided in the shining digivolution. Yet this one is still very much alive."

"Okay, hold it," said Izzy. "Digignomes? Great axis? Shining digivolution? What are you guys talking about?!"

"That's something we'd all like to know," said Yolei.

"Start explaining," said Cody.

"Alright, I guess we owe you that," said Wizardmon. "First of all, the digignomes are, as I said, much more ancient than digimon. Most of what I can tell you is just hearsay. They've reportedly worked closely with the Sovereigns and the Guardians, but rumors persist that they've also been seen in the presence of evil digimon, including the Dark Masters. However, there has never been any case of any force receiving any actual assistance from the digignomes. Well actually, they did assist fairly recently, but that's another story. They're very tight-lipped. In fact, they don't talk at all. There's no telling what they know. Some say that they have no more brains than a digi-fish, but I think otherwise. I think that they have more knowledge than any human or digimon could hope to amass in a dozen lifetimes. Only they have the clarity of mind to see the whole picture of the digital world."

"Wow," said TK. "That's pretty amazing."

"So what about the great axis?" asked Davis.

"Well, you all know of Azulongmon," said Wizardmon. "Well he is the Sovereign of the eastern quadrant of the digital world. There are three other quadrants. The north is ruled by Ebonwumon, Baihumon rules the east, and Zuqiaomon rules the south. Below the surface of the digital world exist a number of smaller worlds, such as the dark ocean. However, at the very center of the four quadrants exists a great chasm, which touches all of the smaller realms. It is that place that is known as the great axis. Few ever go there, since it means passing through one of the four Sovereign gates. I've never been there myself, so there is little I can tell you."

"And the shining digivolution?" asked Gomamon.

"I won't go into all the details," said Wizardmon. "The story is a long and tragic one. I'll just say that it was necessary to stop a very powerful enemy known as the D-Reaper. The digignomes, along with a digimon that had been used to protect an ancient and very powerful catalyst, activated the full strength of the catalyst. The release of energy was spread throughout the digital world, causing all of the digimon here to digivolve to their Mega forms. The digignomes supposedly sacrificed themselves to accomplish that incredible task."

"D-Reaper…" said Patamon. "Geno said that name. What was it?"

"A very ancient evil," said Wizardmon. "It nearly wiped out all life in the digital world. It was eventually stopped, but at a very high price."

"Why didn't we hear anything about this?" asked Yolei. "Why weren't we called upon for help?"

"It was Azulongmon's choice," said Wizardmon. "If you want to know, he'd be the one to tell you. Unfortunately, he's not around any more."

"Right…" said Meramon sullenly. "He and the other Sovereigns fused together to become Protomon."

"I know which way to go," announced Kari. "The digignome will guide us."

Everyone turned and looked at the glowing creature, which happily nodded and smiled. The digignome then took to the air again and began to float down the hallway. The group followed closely behind.

Elsewhere, Geno and the Emperor stood in one of the most guarded labs in the base. The Emperor was looking over some monitors while Geno took a good, long look at the two tanks filled with a phosphorescent, light green fluid. The one on the left held an unconscious Koromon and the one on the right held and unconscious Tsunomon.

"Shall we proceed?" asked the Emperor.

"Naturally," said Geno.

"Please insert the crests," instructed the Emperor.

Geno dug into his pocket, pulling out two crests. He removed them from their tags and stepped up to the tanks. In front of each tank were slots where a crest could be inserted. In the right slot, he placed the green Crest of Solitude. In the left slot he placed the dark blue Crest of Cowardice.

"Loaded," Geno reported.

"Link forming…" said the Emperor as he typed away at a keyboard.

A moment later, the door opened and in stepped Metaldracomon. He had a gaping hole in his torso from which oozed a mixture of blood and oil. Despite this, he seemed perfectly fine.

"I take it you ran into some problems," said Geno, not even bothering to face Metaldracomon.

"They brought in Piximon," Metaldracomon explained. "He is a truly exceptional fighter. They say he's trained the strongest digimon for countless years."

"I am fully aware of his reputation," said Geno. "I don't care if he's stronger than the Sovereigns. You are an extension of myself, and failure is not something that I will accept, especially from you."

"This body's Ultimate form is insufficient," said Metaldracomon. "I must be allowed to proceed to the next stage."

"I will not permit it," said Geno. "If that body grows too strong, we may lose our hold on it. The creature could regain control, and then we would have a very powerful foe to contend with."

"I see," said Metaldracomon.

Geno turned and walked up to Metaldracomon. He glanced at his wounds carefully.

"Repair that," instructed Geno. "You're dripping on my floor."

Metaldracomon closed his eyes and held his breath. After a moment, his damaged body began to rapidly regenerate itself. The fluids were absorbed back into his body and the puncture wound resealed itself. With his body regenerated, Metaldracomon reopened his eyes.

"Better?" asked Metaldracomon.

"Much," said Geno. "Now is there any more to report?"

"I'm afraid so," said Metaldracomon. "The DigiDestined are… unaccounted for. The attack on our forces was obviously well planned and executed. Our troops remain in disarray, and the enemy force seems to be advancing towards our vaults."

"I am aware of the DigiDestined," said Geno confidently. "Emperor?"

"Yes, master?" asked Ken.

"I want you and Metaldracomon to take care of the main group," said Geno. "I believe you will find your prey en route to the primary vault. If you feel you can't handle it on your own, you have my permission to use Megadramon and Gigadramon as you deem fit."

"Understood," said Ken. "But if I may ask, where will you be?"

"Two DigiDestined have split off from the others," said Geno. "They… seek me. I think I'll let them find me, and when they do I'll have a little fun."

"But don't you want any bodyguards?!" asked Metaldracomon. "I insist that you let me remain at your side!"

"No need to worry," said Geno. "I have all the defense I need. For you see, they shall be the first to taste the power of my new, perfect body. They will be the first of many to fall before me. At last, the time of my ascension is at hand!"

"By your will," said Metaldracomon with a bow.

"Let's hurry," said Ken, punching the palm of his hand. "I can't wait to get back into the action."

Ken quickly headed out with Metaldracomon reluctantly in tow. Geno regarded the mechanical monster for a moment after he left. His hold on Metaldracomon was tenuous at best; allowing him to digivolve would almost certainly dissolve the last remnants of his influence. Still, Metaldracomon seemed to have a fierce loyalty to him, or at least the body he possessed. That and his great strength made him worth keeping around. Of course, that would come to an end soon enough. The Emperor and Metaldracomon only needed to hold off the DigiDestined for a short while. As long as the DigiDestined were prevented from acquiring the digiegg, Geno knew he would be unstoppable. As soon as his new form was ready, all of his servants would be rendered expendable, and would therefore be dealt with, beginning with Metaldracomon and the Emperor. Within the hour, his body would be ready for him, and a new age would begin.

"It has been a very good day," said Geno, placing his right palm up against the tank with the Koromon inside. "Though everything may not has gone as planned, I've still won. Four DigiDestined were so traumatized by my machines that they will be completely ineffective in fighting me. Another one has embraced my will, and now serves me unquestioningly. Yet another one will have to spread himself dangerously thin, trying to maintain control of his two digimon plus Keramon. And of course, we must not forget the one who has paid the price for what he did to me. He will never stand in my way again, and his body has already brought me to the brink of total dominion over this world. Life is good."

The Koromon just twitched and smiled devilishly. Geno sat down at the nearby console, waiting for the two DigiDestined to arrive.


	16. Love and Sincerity Reclaimed

[Sorry I'm a day late, but certain circumstances made it unavoidable. Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's probably not my best work, but it's necessary to moving the story forward. Also, don't forget to go see my pictures, which now include Stormdramon's line in full color, as well as color pictures of Jack.]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A short time later, the DigiDestined and their digimon companions found themselves running down one of the many seemingly identical hallways within the base. They were having a hard time keeping up with the digignome. Although small, the creature proved very quick, and it paid little heed to the requests that it slow down. Still, the digignome obviously knew exactly where it was going. It was as though some unseen hand was guiding its path, drawing it forward with great urgency.

"Where do you think this thing is taking us?" huffed Davis.

"Beats me," said Veemon. "But we're sure to be there in a hurry."

"I don't know how much of this I can take," wheezed Ogremon. "It feels like all I've done today is run back and forth. I don't know about you guys, but I'm in the mood to plow through some evil minions."

"All in due course," said Wizardmon, who had chosen to fly rather than run. "That time will come, but right now we must strategize. Don't forget that we are still vastly outnumbered. Add in the fact that we have to deal with both the Emperor and that virus, and I'm sure even you can see how vital it is that we be careful."

"They may be smart," said Ogremon. "But they're still just humans. I could crush them both between my thumb and index finger."

"Don't be so sure," warned TK. "I'm still dizzy from when Geno tossed me."

Without warning, the digignome suddenly came to a dead stop. Everyone following it tried to skid to a stop, but this of course caused the whole group to trip over each other. What followed was a mixture of groans, grumbling, and head rubbing. The digignome was, of course, indifferent to all this as it softly landed on the cold, steel floor. It stared straight ahead into the darkness.

"What's up with him?" asked Davis.

"He must sense something up there," said Cody.

"What do you think it is?" asked Armadillomon.

"Undoubtedly another evil digimon bent on sending us to an early grave," said Hawkmon.

"So are just gonna' stand here?" asked Patamon. "C'mon! Let's go kick some butt!"

Patamon flew forward as TK chased after him. Kari, Gatomon, and the digignome quickly followed suit, but all the others seemed a bit more reluctant. Suddenly, Kurisarimon's eyes went wide.

"Danger!" shouted Kurisarimon.

The armored digimon threw his weight against the remaining DigiDestined in order to push them back to safety from some unseen enemy. His efforts had knocked Davis, Willis, Yolei, Cody, Joe, Izzy, Wizardmon, and Meramon back a few steps. This happened just before a pair of heavy doors slammed down, encapsulating Sora, Mimi, Ogremon, Veemon, Lopmon and Terriermon, Biyomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Tentomon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon.

"Guys!" shouted Willis.

"Mimi!" yelled Michael. "Are you alright in there?!"

"Don't worry!" said Joe. "We'll get you outta' there!"

"I don't think so," said a rather sinister voice from behind them.

The DigiDestined and three remaining digimon quickly looked back to see who it was. Floating menacingly a few feet off the ground was a Giromon. He had an evil glint in his eye, and backing him up were half a dozen Mekanorimon.

"Oh dear," said Meramon.

"This can't be a good thing…" said Wizardmon.

"Ah, these guys are nothing," said Davis. "Hey Veemon! Digi—Uh… where's Veemon?"

"I'm in here, Davis!" shouted the muffled voice of Veemon from behind the heavy door.

"Oooooooooookay…" said Davis. "Maybe this will be a problem."

"Mmmmm… Data!" said Kurisarimon as he twitched hungrily.

"I'll make you a deal," said Willis. "Beat all theses guys and you can eat every last one of them."

"Deal!" said Kurisarimon as he, Wizardmon, and Meramon all rushed forward.

Meanwhile, things in the small room holding Sora, Mimi, and the digimon were getting tense. Veemon was head-butting the wall repeatedly, but without success. All he'd accomplished was giving himself a bad headache. Even when Ogremon stepped up to the plate and took a few whacks with his club, the wall was unaffected.

"We've got to help them!" said Gomamon.

"But how can we?" asked Tentomon.

"I don't know, but we'd better do it fast!" said Gomamon.

Without warning, the floor below them jolted to life and began to slowly move upward to the already low ceiling.

"Well this doesn't look very good," said Armadillomon.

"Someone think of something!" said Palmon.

But then, the ceiling opened up for them, the two large panels that made it up sliding out of the way. The floor continued to push them up, locking into place once it had reached the same level as where the ceiling had been. The group now found themselves in a very expansive, utterly empty room. Dull blue lighting flooded down from the high ceiling, but still, the distant parts of this arena-like room were left in darkness.

"What now?" asked Ogremon.

"Now you die…" said the unmistakable voice of the Emperor over a loudspeaker.

"You…" said Palmon angrily.

"What is this place?" demanded Biyomon.

"This is what's known as the Dramon's Roost," explained Ken. "It's where two of our strongest digimon reside. I certainly hope you like how it looks, since it's going to be the last place you ever see!"

The Emperor cackled evilly for a moment before the room went silent again.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Veemon.

"Oh, Ken…" said Wormmon. "How could you?"

"We'll deal with him later," said Ogremon. "Right now, we just need to survive."

"Easier said than done…" said a hulking, brutish voice from the darkness.

"Which ones do you want?" asked a second voice.

"Let me take the humans," said the first. "The rest are yours."

"That's not fair!" said the second. "I don't see why you should be the one to kill two DigiDestined."

"Fine, fine," said the first. "You take one and I'll take one. We'll get the digimon together."

"Sounds like fun," said the second.

There was a sudden gust of wind as a pair of very large figures could be seen moving about in the darkness, spreading their large wings. Their snakelike bodies coiled away from each other as they prepared to strike.

"Now would be a good time to come up with a plan," said Gomamon.

"I think I have one," said Veemon. "Charge!"

"We're with you," said Palmon and Biyomon.

"Hold it," said Armadillomon. "You two should stay back to protect the girls. They'll need your help."

"Are you sure?" asked Palmon.

"Don't worry about us," said Wormmon. "We'll finish with these guys faster than you can say pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis."

"Alright," said Biyomon. "Good luck."

"Uh, Veemon?" whispered Wormmon. "Just how ARE we going to beat these guys?"

"I think we've got plenty of time to figure that out," said Veemon. "It's gonna' take them a while to say new-munum-cobalt-sony-osis, or whatever that word was."

"Let's just do this thing," said Wormmon.

"Right!" said Veemon, Lopmon, Terriermon, Ogremon, Tentomon, Gomamon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon.

The eight digimon rushed forward just as Megadramon and Gigadramon sprung into the light, weapons armed and teeth bared. Megadramon started things off by firing a missile directly at the group of charging digimon. They quickly dove away from the attack in separate directions, sustaining no significant injuries. As debris from the explosion rained down all around them, Tentomon and Hawkmon launched their Super Shocker and Hawk Beam attacks at the nearby Gigadramon. Of course, the Super Shocker just fizzled out and Hawkmon's feather just bounced off once the attacks came in contact with Gigadramon's impervious underbelly. Gigadramon smiled viciously just before slamming the tip of his powerful tail into Hawkmon and Tentomon from the side, launching them over a hundred feet before they came skidding to a stop.

"Bullseye…" chuckled Gigadramon.

Meanwhile, Terriermon and Lopmon were firing Bunny Blasts one after another, creating an almost machine-gun-like affect as they pounded into Megadramon's head and upper torso. Despite all the dust and debris being thrown out by the explosions, Megadramon was still moving forward, completely unfazed. He lifted his arm up and brought it smashing down on the spot where Lopmon and Terriermon stood. The twin digimon managed to avoid the heavy blow in time, but just barely. However, they weren't able to avoid it when Megadramon swung his massive arm in a big sweeping motion. They were both knocked to the ground.

Meanwhile, Wormmon scored a lucky hit when he covered Gigadramon's eyes with his Sticky Web. Gigadramon was fighting blind, leaving Veemon an opportunity to attack with his V-Head-Butt. Using every ounce of strength he had, Veemon slammed himself into Gigadramon's torso, but the behemoth barely even noticed. Armadillomon tried a similar tactic, smashing into Gigadramon with his Diamond Shell, and Gomamon opened up a gate to bring in a wave of his Marching Fishes attack aimed right for Gigadramon's head. Of course, nothing the Rookies could throw at the Ultimates had any effect whatsoever. Gigadramon just smiled viciously before scattering his opponents across the room with a broad lash from his tail. Veemon got lucky, as he was thrown back at Ogremon, who caught him as gently as possible.

"That tears it!" shouted Ogremon, laying the wounded Veemon on the ground. "IT'S GO TIME!"

Ogremon charged at Gigadramon at full speed. He leaped into the air with his club ready to strike. Once he'd reached the right altitude, he brought his weapon down hard on Gigadramon's armored head, stunning the great dragon. He then proceeded to ricochet off Gigadramon's head and back towards Megadramon. Ogremon smacked Megadramon across the face with his Bone Club before landing hard on the ground. As soon as he did though, Megadramon wrapped his powerful tail around Ogremon's waist and began to squeeze. Ogremon let out a gasp of pain as his midsection was slowly crushed. Fighting with all his might to keep from screaming, Ogremon shakily grabbed Megadramon's tail in his arms and got a very firm hold. Using every ounce of the strength he had remaining, Ogremon let out a fearsome yell as he threw Megadramon at Gigadramon. Unfortunately, Ogremon had forgotten that Megadramon still had a good grip on him, which dragged Ogremon along for the ride. The two great dragons collided with incredible force and Ogremon was thrown clear, but he was wounded and completely out of power. After they had untangled themselves, it was clear that the two dragons were just fine.

"Victory is ours," said Megadramon.

"Easiest fight I've ever had," said Gigadramon.

"This is looking pretty bad," Biyomon said nervously.

"No kidding," said Palmon.

"So what are we supposed to do?" asked Biyomon. "We can't possibly expect to beat two Ultimates!"

"Well," said Palmon. "There's always surrender. At least we'll survive."

"I doubt they're looking to take prisoners," said Biyomon.

"Mimi, please," begged Palmon. "If you could just snap out of this mood you're in, I could digivolve."

"Don't tell me what to do!" said Mimi. "I'm not your servant."

"Oh, Mimi," said Palmon. "I wish I could've stopped that stupid virus from doing this to you. I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could save you, but I can't. You have to save yourself."

"I feel the same way, Sora," said Biyomon. "You know I'd do anything for you. That's what love is! I love you Sora, and I hope that you still love me!"

Sora just continued staring straight ahead.

"I'm going to prove it," said Biyomon. "I'm going to prove that I love you! If you can't remember what love is, then I'll show you!"

"Yeah!" said Palmon. "I'm going to make you remember how close you and I are! I'm going to save you Mimi!"

"Let's do this!" said Biyomon.

"Lead the way!" said Palmon.

The two Rookies charged fiercely, even though they didn't stand a chance. Megadramon and Gigadramon could only laugh at the attacking digimon. Biyomon did her best against Megadramon with her Spiral Twister attack and Palmon tried to entrap Gigadramon in her Poison Ivy. Both attempts proved fruitless though, as both digimon easily shrugged them off. One great flap of Megadramon's wings knocked both Rookies to the ground.

"I'm… not giving up!" grunted Palmon.

"Me either!" said Boyomon, struggling to her feet.

Both tried to attack again, but with similar success. Time and again they attacked, and time and again they were slapped down. Megadramon and Gigadramon were having a good laugh through their repeated beatings of the two digimon. And all the while, Sora and Mimi looked on, wearing expressions of increasing concern. Slowly but surely, what the virus had done to them was wearing away, and their true natures were starting to show through. Finally, it looked like Megadramon and Gigadramon were finished playing with their food.

"Time's up," said Gigadramon, taking aim with both his arms guns.

"You're done," said Megadramon, doing likewise.

Biyomon and Palmon lay in a heap with their eyes closed and waited for the inevitable. Cruel smiles appeared on the faces of the dragons as their guns got ready to fire. In that instant, the virus' effects on the girls was shattered and its influence was thrown to the wind.

"NO!" cried Mimi, shedding a single tear.

"Biyomon!" shouted Sora. "Get up! I… I love you too!"

"Palmon!" screamed Mimi.

The two digimon opened their eyes just as the dragons fired. An instant later, the explosion flooded over them, filling the entire room with its terrible light. Mimi and Sora screamed. The vile laughter of Megadramon and Gigadramon could still be heard loud and clear. It was a terrible moment. Sora and Mimi felt completely crushed, but that changed very quickly. Within the fiery explosion, they could see two lights; one green and one red. Megadramon and Gigadramon saw it too, but that still wouldn't save them. As the light died down from the explosion and debris rained down all around them, everyone could see the great figure of Garudamon with Lillymon standing on her shoulder.

"Howdy, boys," said Lillymon, winking at the dragons.

Gardumon punched her fist and smiled. A second later, the attack began. Garudamon slammed her fist into Gigadramon's face and Lillymon booted Megadramon in the gut repeatedly until he was down resting on his hands. Once Megadramon was down, Lillymon flew up to his face and held him daintily by the chin. She gave a little smile just before booting him in the neck. Meanwhile, Garudamon had Gigadramon by the tail and was spinning him around and around over her head, gaining momentum with every pass.

"Pull!" shouted Lillymon, who was standing victoriously atop Megadramon.

Garudamon released Gigadramon and he went flying. Taking careful aim with her Flower Cannon, Lillymon let a shot go at just the right moment, hitting Gigadramon dead-on and dropping him like a ton of bricks. She smiled confidently, but this distracted her from Megadramon, who suddenly grabbed her by the waist with his tail and aimed his right arm at her at point-blank range. Garudamon reacted instantly, flying over and stomping on Megadramon's gut before he could get off his shot. With Lillymon freed, Garudamon picked up Megadramon and threw him across the room at his companion. Once the dust had cleared from the impact, the bruised and battered digimon were on their feet again and standing side-by-side.

"I got this one," said Lillymon.

She flew at the dragon digimon with incredible speed, dodging the shots they fired at her. She got in very close and started circling them faster and faster. After several passes around them, Lillymon completed forming her Flower Wreath, pinning the digimon together with their arms stuck. Both were growling viciously, but after a few seconds the look of bloodlust was gone from their eyes. Their muscles relaxed and their expressions became somewhat bewildered.

"What's going on?" asked Megadramon.

"Oh, nothing to worry about you two," said Lillymon sweetly. "I just saved you both from an evil computer virus."

"Oh thank you so much!" said Gigadramon. "How can we possibly repay you?"

"Just try not to get captured again," said Lillymon. "You guys are really strong."

"Lillymon!" called Mimi.

Lillymon looked down at the ground behind her to see Mimi running towards her.

"Mimi!" called Lillymon, quickly landing in front of her friend.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" said Mimi, hugging Lillymon tight.

"And you're okay too," said Lillymon. "That's what really matters."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lillymon could see Sora and Garudamon having a tearful reunion of their own.

"Everything's going to be fine now, isn't it?" asked Mimi, releasing Lillymon slowly.

"Not yet," said Lillymon. "There's still a few things that need taking care of."

"You're right," said Mimi determinedly. "And I'm going to be there the whole way through. You can count on me!"

"Glad to hear it," said Lillymon. "But right now we've got to meet up with the others."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Mimi. "Let's go!"


	17. Dark Digimon Awaken

Elsewhere, even deeper inside the vast expanses of the base, TK, Kari, Patamon, Gatomon, and their new friend the digignome all made their way forward without delay. They were aware that they had been separated from their friends, but the digignome was unwilling to stop for anything. Rather than lose track of it and stay back to try and get through several feet of solid steel, they two humans and their digimon partners quickly decided it would be best to continue on. The mood was very intense, and the digignome's increasingly urgent attitude told the DigiDestined that they were either very close or their time was running out quickly. Either way, the DigiDestined still had to struggle to keep up with their odd new companion.

After a time, the five adventurers reached the end of the long hallway. It opened into another room that was fairly large, but hardly an arena. It would be possible to fight there without being too cramped, and everyone could tell that that would probably be helpful. The far wall was made up of three reinforced steel doors. The lights overhead flickered to life when the group walked in, and provided more lighting than they had become accustomed to in the facility.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home," said TK, quickly scanning over the room.

"I don't like it," said Gatomon suspiciously. "Something in here doesn't seem quite right."

"Right or not, we have to hurry," said Patamon. "I doubt this room is going to stay empty much longer."

"You're right," TK said. "We can expect more troops to be heading this way very soon. Let's find what the digignome wants to show us and get out of here."

"There," said Kari, pointing to a small keypad immediately to the right of the triple doors. "That must open up those doors."

"Sounds about right," said TK. "Let's move."

The five of them quickly made their way across the room to where the keypad was. Upon examining the device and trying to punch in a few numbers at random, TK was stumped.

"We're gonna' need a code," announced TK. "Without one we're sunk."

"So let's go find a guard," said Gatomon. "I'll bet any one of 'em would have the code."

"And how do you suggest we get it out of them?" asked TK.

"Oh come on," said Gatomon. "These guys are pushovers. We'll have that vault open in five minutes."

"Oh, I don't know about that," said a sinister voice behind them.

Nervously, the small group turned their attention back to the hallway from whence they came. Standing at the entrance as confident as ever was the Emperor. He had that vile little grin on his face once again.

"It's been a long time," said TK.

"That it has," said the Emperor, brandishing his whip.

"And to think," started TK. "I was worried I'd never get another chance to kick the snot out of you."

TK punched the palm of his hand and began to advance on the Emperor very slowly.

"Ah, yes," said the Emperor. "An unfortunate incident. I assure you that today we will not see a repeat of that."

"Says who?" asked TK, still advancing.

"Says my backup," said Ken.

The Emperor quickly cracked his whip, and a looming shadow immediately emerged from the dark hallway behind him. As light poured down over the monster, he was immediately recognized as Metaldracomon. His eyes were cold, his face was hard, and his claws were twitching with excitement. TK immediately halted his advance upon seeing the powerful digimon.

"Miss me?" asked Metaldracomon.

"Can't really say we have," said Patamon.

"You're gonna' pay," said Gatomon. "That's a promise."

"We shall see…" said Metaldracomon.

"I think we've wasted enough time," said the Emperor. "Metaldracomon! Exterminate these… pests. I don't want them disrupting the beauty of what we're making here for a second longer!"

"It'll be a pleasure…" Metaldracomon said with a cruel smile.

The beastly digimon powered up his engine and spread his wings, bolting forward with frightening speed. He was instantly right on top of the DigiDestined and digimon. He thrust his right claw down at the center of the group, but all he struck was the floor. TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon had all spread out in different directions. As for the digignome, it had taken flight and currently had an excellent vantage point from which it could view the impending battle.

"Kari!" TK called out as he got back on his feet.

"I'm fine!" said Kari.

"NOT FOR LONG!" yelled the nearly berserk Metaldracomon.

The mechanical monster lashed his tail out like a whip at Kari. Luckily for her, Gatomon threw her to the ground just in time, allowing the deadly weapon to pass right over them. Metaldracomon wasn't done yet, though. He lifted his tail up high and prepared to bring it slamming down on Kari and Gatomon. The two of them managed to once again roll out of the way, but in just the nick of time. It seemed that Metaldracomon had stopped his assault for the moment, so the beleaguered warriors took the chance to regroup as far from the beast as possible.

"What now?!" shouted TK.

"I should think that would be obvious," said Patamon.

"It's time to do some digivolving!" said Gatomon.

"Uh-huh," said Kari. "That might get a little tricky without digivices."

"And don't forget about the little emperor over there," said TK. "With his dark digivice, you two would only be able to armor digivolve. That probably won't help us against an Ultimate like Metaldracomon."

"I'm glad you finally see things as they are," said Metaldracomon. "And now, I just have one request of you."

"We're not gonna' surrender," said Patamon.

"Oh, I don't want you to surrender," said Metaldracomon. "I want you to DIE!"

Metaldracomon swiftly raised his right claw and aimed at the DigiDestined. With a vicious yell, he fired his Mecha Claw at them. Time almost seemed to come to a stop as the deadly weapon sailed through the air. With every instant it drew closer to its target, Metaldracomon's deadly aim guiding to straight and true. Unable to escape in time, TK and Kari shielded themselves with their arms. The blades drew closer, and closer, and closer, until…

*Thunk*

The claw came to a sudden stop in mid-air, sending out a sound like that of metal striking against metal. Everyone there was dumbfounded but what they saw. The claw just floated there harmlessly, hovering less than two feet from the DigiDestined.

"Sorry I'm late," said a familiar voice. "The traffic in these parts is no walk in the sunshine."

Slowly, the easily recognizable form of Piximon materialized where the claw had stopped. Apparently he had blocked the attack with his own spear, which still supported the weapon.

"YOU!" shouted Metaldracomon. "But how--?!"

"Surely you haven't forgotten that too," said Piximon. "I can create barriers to make pretty much anything invisible, including myself."

"Wow, Piximon!" said TK. "You're timing rocks!"

"I never thought I'd see you again!" said Kari.

"So, is this guy giving you two a little trouble?" asked Piximon.

"You've stood in my way for the last time, fuzz-ball," said Metaldracomon. "Now you're going to pay for insulting me. Now you will pay for insulting the glory of the virus!"

"So I take it the next round is about to begin," said Piximon. "I'm good to go when you are."

"I'm through toying with you, Piximon," said Metaldracomon. "This time, you WILL die."

Metaldracomon quickly retracted his claw and got into a fighting stance. Piximon gripped his spear in both hands, ready to launch into battle.

Elsewhere, Tai, Matt, Agumon, and Gabumon had made their way through one hallway after another without running into a single evil digimon. They found it odd that in a base swarming with enemies they hadn't even spotted one, but it wasn't an unwelcome surprise.

"C'mon, tough guy…" whispered Matt. "Where are you hiding?"

"Hold on a second," Gabumon said as he signaled the others to stop.

"What's up?" asked Agumon.

Gabumon responded by sniffing the air, and then the floor.

"He's nearby," said Gabumon. "Very near…"

"Who is it?" asked Tai.

"It's Geno," said Gabumon. "It's him without a doubt."

"Oh great," said Tai nervously. "We're in big trouble here."

"Wrong," said Matt. "It's Geno that's in big trouble. As soon as I find him, I'm gonna' introduce his face to my fist."

"He's this way," said Gabumon, quickly running ahead.

The others all followed him, although Tai was a bit reluctant about it. Eventually, Gabumon's nose led the four of them right up to another door just like all the others in the facility. Written on the door was the phrase: "BIO STORAGE".

"Should we go in?" asked Agumon.

"I don't see much choice," said Gabumon.

"Outta' my way," said Matt, shoving the two digimon aside.

Matt pressed the button right next to the door and the thing slid open smoothly. Matt walked in, followed by Gabumon, Agumon, and finally Tai. Once they were all inside, the door closed. The room itself was about thirty feet high, fifty feet wide and about two hundred feet long. There were large, clear, glass tanks filled with a phosphorescent green fluid that stood roughly ten feet tall and were positioned closely together along the walls on the right and left. Some of them contained a variety of digimon, but most were empty. Blue tinted lights spaced at regular intervals that ran along the base of all four walls provided the lighting in the room. On the far wall were two tubes just like the others in the room, both containing digimon. There was a large computer console positioned in front of them, and before that stood the unmistakable figure of Geno.

"What took you so long?" asked Geno.

"Buddy, you're about to get what's coming to you," said Matt, walking confidently forward, followed by the more reluctant Tai, Agumon, and Gabumon.

"Bring it on, child," said Geno.

"No one calls me that," said Matt. "Especially not some tricked-out computer bug with a deadly case of egomania."

"I'll call you whatever I want, junior," said Geno. "Being nearly two thousand years older than you gives me that right."

"Alright, 'gramps'," said Matt. "Now you're cruisin' for a bruisin'."

"Oh please," said Geno. "I have no interest in engaging in such an infantile test of my strength with one such as you."

"Matt," pleaded Gabumon. "I'd hold back if I were you."

"Yeah," said Agumon. "Let us handle him."

"Stay out of this," commanded Matt. "I DON'T need any help."

Geno just chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?!" Matt demanded.

"Oh I was just thinking," said Geno. "It's quite remarkable how easily I drained you of your strongest trait, the trait that made you a threat. Now you are weak, pathetic. You are as much my servant as this body, or Metaldracomon, or the little emperor."

"I've heard enough!" said Matt. "Either start fighting or get ready for a world of hurt!"

"If you insist," said Geno, turning to the large tanks just behind him. "Aren't they beautiful?"

Floating within the tanks was a Tsunomon and a Koromon. Both seemed like they were unconscious and quite calm.

"These two are among the oldest species of digimon to exist," said Geno. "And yet, they have managed to survive and retain their incredible potential down through the ages. Remarkable."

"What does this have to do with anything?!" shouted Matt.

"Listen and learn," said Geno. "I acquired these digimon from beyond the desert. I took the Koromon from a small village that now exists only as a smoking crater. The Tsunomon I took from another city, directly to the south. That city now is just a ruin. Fatality among the populace wasn't quite 100%, but we all make mistakes."

"The point?!" asked Matt.

Geno just smiled as he removed the two corrupted crests from the slots in front of the digimon. He casually returned them to their tags and hung them around his neck. A moment later, the Koromon and Tsunomon woke suddenly, a maddened look in their eyes. They began to squirm about in the gelatinous fluid.

"Awaken, my children," said Geno.

Suddenly, both tanks cracked severely and the goo began to ooze from the containers. Within a few seconds, both tanks had completely shattered, sending waves of gel washing out onto the floor. An eerie green light radiated from the spilled ooze. Some kind of steam rose from the ground where the stuff had spilled, and it was soaking Geno's feet. Two figures could be see moving within the fluid, struggling to escape. Finally, they both rose from it, but they were not Koromon and Tsunomon. Instead, the two creatures were Black Agumon and Black Gabumon. Green ooze dripped from Black Agumon's snout and body, as Black Gabumon shook his fur clean of the liquid. Both of the digimon had their eyes firmly fixed on their counterparts.

"What the hell is going on?!" asked Tai.

"Aren't they magnificent?" asked Geno. "I've infused them with the very essence of my being. They're strong, ferocious, loyal, and best of all, stupid."

Black Agumon snorted as Geno scratched him under the chin.

"They're the ideal servants," said Geno. "No questions, no talking back, no disobeying orders. It's just 'Yes sir! What do you want me to kill, sir?' whenever I approach. Very soon, these two will replace all of my other forces. And guess what? You two will be their first real taste of blood."

Black Gabumon panted contentedly as Geno scratched him behind the ear.

"You wanted a fight?" asked Geno. "Well now you got one. Black Agumon! Black Gabumon! KILL!"


	18. Battle On, DigiDestined

Elsewhere, the battle between Metaldracomon and Piximon was really starting to heat up. Metaldracomon threw a punch, but Piximon dodged and tried to counterattack with a kick to the gut. Metaldracomon swiveled out of the way and tried landing a blow with his spiked elbow on Piximon's head, but Piximon simply caught the attack in his arms and launched himself away from his opponent. As soon as Piximon landed, Metaldracomon was right on top of him with a slice from his powerful right claw. Piximon sprung forward, over Metaldracomon's head. Metaldracomon tried to hit him in mid-flight with his powerful tail, only to have Piximon dodge just below the powerful appendage. Piximon landed and Metaldracomon came at him with his claw again. Piximon rolled out of the way just as Metaldracomon's claw tore through the floor, sending metal debris into the air. Piximon flew headfirst at Metaldracomon, but the great digimon leaped into the air and over Piximon's assault. While in the air, Metaldracomon swiftly turned and fired his Mecha Claw at Piximon, but as usual, Piximon managed to dodge. The attack instead sliced three narrow slits into the heavy steel doors that secured the large base vault.

"Hey, Kari," said TK. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah? So?" asked Kari.

"I've got an idea," said TK.

Meanwhile, Metaldracomon had retracted his claw and was charging at Piximon. Piximon swiftly threw his spear at Metaldracomon, but Metaldracomon spun around it as he ran, and was able to get around behind Piximon with his amazing speed. He grabbed the tiny digimon's entire body in his left hand before performing another complete spin to build up speed and chucking Piximon across the room and directly into one of the three doors, leaving a sizeable dent. Piximon fell facedown on the ground as Metaldracomon once again charged. He leaped through the air and aimed to land his heavy, metallic foot right on top of Piximon, but as he fell Piximon rolled out of the way and Metaldracomon was only successful in pounding the floor. By the time that Metaldracomon had realized the mistake, Piximon had already retrieved his weapon and was soaring at Metaldracomon's head. Piximon came in fast and swung his spear like a baseball bat, aiming at Metaldracomon's head, but Metaldracomon's amazing reflexes allowed him to bring up his powerful, metal arm just in time to block Piximon's blow. The two stared at each other for a moment. The force of the blow had broken off several pieces from Metaldracomon's arm, but nothing of significance. He gazed at Piximon coldly, without any sign of emotion. Piximon looked back clearly agitated at the failure of his latest attack.

"Surrender," said Metaldracomon. "It's your only hope for a quick death."

"No can do," said Piximon. "You see, I'm planning on winning this fight… one way or another."

"I gave you your chance," said Metaldracomon. "Now you die."

With incredible speed, Metaldracomon threw a punch at Piximon with his left arm. The force behind the blow was more than enough to knock Piximon all the way across the room and crashing into a wall. Piximon was stunned by the blow, and began to fall forward, but before he could drop more than a few inches, Metaldracomon came in with a vicious kick, driving his foot and Piximon over ten inches into the wall and sending out a wave of debris. Metaldracomon wasn't done yet though. As soon as he landed, he reached out with his left claw and dug Piximon from the trashed wall and looked down at his damaged body.

"You lose," said Metaldracomon.

"Hey metal head!" shouted a voice from the other side of the room.

Metaldracomon turned his head and spied TK standing there with a confident look on his face.

"Why don't you pick on someone closer to your own size?!" shouted TK.

"Anyone you might recommend?" asked Metaldracomon.

"I was talking about me," said TK.

"Don't try my patience, child," said Metaldracomon. "I could snap you in half in the time it takes you to blink."

"I'm not gonna' back down," said TK stubbornly.

"You're… actually serious?" asked Metaldracomon. "Well, I must say that you've reminded me never to underestimate how brave or how foolish humans can be."

Metaldracomon opened his claws and let Piximon roll of his fingers and slump to the floor. Then, with his trademark speed, Metaldracomon spun towards TK and fired his Mecha Claw right at him. However, while the claw was rapidly approaching the boy, Gatomon stepped in and knocked him to the ground, and in the process revealing the already damaged section of the large doors that TK had hidden with his body. A surprised look crossed Metaldracomon's face as his claw tore through the door and quickly became lodged. His surprise grew dramatically when Piximon rammed himself into Metaldracomon from behind and shoved him across the room and right through the vault doors. A mix of shattered metal and dust poured from the hole in the door as Piximon landed, gasping for breath and holding his dislocated left shoulder. His wings were tattered and he was bruised badly, but he was most likely in better shape than Metaldracomon.

"Awesome!" said TK as he stood up and dusted himself off. "That there is what I'd call a home run!"

"Don't you think you were cutting it a little close?" asked Gatomon. "Another couple feet and you'd be shish kabob."

"I knew you'd get to me in time," said TK.

"Don't scare me like that any more!" said Kari as she ran over and embraced her boyfriend. "I don't like it when you take stupid risks."

The digignome floated down from its position near the ceiling and landed on TK's shoulder, a slight smile on its face.

"Hurry," groaned Piximon.

"Huh?" asked TK and Kari.

"Retrieve your… equipment," Piximon said with a grimace. "The crests… and digivices."

"I'm on it," said Patamon, quickly flying through the hole left by Metaldracomon.

"Okay, we're getting close," said Gatomon. "Now all we need to worry about is the Emperor and that virus."

"Uh… I think we've missed out on a very important detail," said Kari. "Did anyone see where the Emperor WENT?!"

"Wasn't he here?" asked TK, looking around.

"He must've slipped out during the battle," said Kari. "But why? And where?"

"Hey Gatomon!" called Patamon. "Could you give me a hand here?"

"Coming!" said Gatomon, going in to find Patamon while carefully stepping around Metaldracomon's unconscious body.

"I don't like this at all," said TK. "Ken could be anywhere by now."

"He must've gone for reinforcements," said Kari.

"No," said Piximon. "He ducked out very early in the battle when Metaldracomon was winning."

"Then maybe he just thought Metaldracomon could handle things here," said TK. "He could've been going after some of our friends."

"I don't think so," said Piximon. "I saw the look in his eyes. It was very strange. He seemed very decisive, and he made sure that Metaldracomon didn't see him go."

"What does it mean?" asked Kari.

"I don't know," said Piximon. "But I—"

"Here it is!" called Gatomon as she and Patamon stepped out from the vault, loaded down with equipment.

"Tags, crests, digivices, D-terminals, and D-3s all accounted for," said Patamon. "With the exception of Ken's stuff."

"We know he has his digivice," said Gatomon. "I bet he's got that crest on him too."

"You guys should see some of the stuff they got back there," said Patamon. "Izzy could spend a month in there and not even scratch the surface."

"This stuff should do for now," said TK as he accepted his D-3, D-terminal, and crest.

"I'm sure glad to have all this back," Kari said as she did the same.

"With us at your side these guys don't stand a chance," said Gatomon.

"So what are we waiting for?" asked TK. "Let's get going."

They turned to go, but they stopped in their tracks when a loud snarl raged up from behind them. Cautiously turning around, they beheld the enraged figure of Metaldracomon. His eyes were trained on the small group, electrical sparks shot from his body, and his mouth hung open savagely as his warm, wet drool began to puddle on the ground.

"You go nowhere…" said Metaldracomon in a slow, booming voice.

By that time, Tai and Matt were knee-deep in the battle against Geno. The two Agumon wrestled viciously, clawing at each other and biting whenever they got the chance. The Gabumon had their hands locked together and were pushing against each other with all their strength in a battle that neither was winning.

"Do you see?" asked Geno. "Even now, they're every bit as strong as your digimon, and they get stronger with every passing moment."

"You're gonna' regret trying to mess with me!" said Matt. "Just you wait…"

At that moment, Black Agumon had Agumon pinned against the ground, holding his arms and legs. Agumon tried to fire his Pepper Breath into Black Agumon's face, but the wily digimon crooked its head to the side just in time, and quickly retaliated by snapping his jaw down hard on Agumon's right shoulder. Agumon cried out in pain as Black Agumon's teeth sunk in deeper, drawing out a stream of blood that oozed from Black Agumon's tightly closed lips.

"Agumon!" shouted Tai.

Agumon could only scream in pain. Gabumon momentarily turned his head to see what was wrong with his friend, but that quickly proved to be a tactical error when Black Gabumon unleashed his Black Blaster against the side of Gabumon's face. Gabumon slid back across the floor and into a wall. Standing up shakily, Gabumon clutched his bruised head. He fixed his glaring, red eyes on Black Gabumon, who continued to pant heavily like the feral beast he was. Gabumon then eyed his friend, Agumon, who was still trying to get Black Agumon off of him without tearing off his whole arm in the process. Gabumon knew that his personal vendetta against his evil counterpart would have to be put on hold for the moment.

"Don't worry, Agumon!" shouted Gabumon. "I'm coming!"

Gabumon ran as quickly as he could at Agumon, but it soon proved not nearly fast enough. Black Gabumon had come up behind him and tackled him to the ground. Laying facedown on the ground and mere feet from Agumon, Gabumon felt Black Gabumon's warm, sticky breath on his fur. With no time to spare, Gabumon acted entirely out of instinct. He flipped himself onto his back, but Black Gabumon remained on top of him, so that they were now face to face.

"Alley oop!" shouted Gabumon as he brought his feet up against Black Gabumon's belly and launched him back over his head.

Black Agumon looked up just in time to see Black Gabumon flying right at him. This caused him to release Agumon's shoulder instinctively, so that when Black Gabumon smashed into him, only the dark digimon went for a ride. The two of them landed in a pile a few feet in front of Geno. Gabumon helped Agumon back to his feet and they both pulled back to regroup for the next attack.

"They're tough," said Gabumon. "Really tough."

"No kidding," grunted Agumon a moment before cringing from the searing pain in his bloodied arm.

"Think you can hold up?" asked Gabumon.

"I… don't know," said Agumon, gripping his wound. "It's pretty bad."

"Hey Tai!" yelled Matt. "Why didn't you get in there and help your digimon?!"

"I… I…" stammered Tai.

"If you'd helped him then Gabumon wouldn't have had to!" yelled Matt. "What were you THINKING?!"

"I… I couldn't move," Tai said meekly. "I was too scared…"

"Why did you even come along if you're not gonna' help?!" shouted Matt. "You're just dead weight!"

"That's ENOUGH!" yelled Gabumon. "You two better snap out of this right NOW! I don't know what it was that the virus did to you two, but you can just forget about it!"

"Look Gabumon, I—" started Matt.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" yelled Gabumon. "Whatever happened, it wasn't real! This, on the other hand, is! This is what really matters! We need you right now; the REAL you!"

"You guys shouldn't be sad, you should be MAD!" Agumon chimed in. "Just think about what the virus has done to you; to all of us! Think about what would happen if we lose to it here, today. Think about everyone that's depending on us! If you can't come to your senses right now, then that thing has already won and everything you know and love will be gone forever! I for one can't let that happen! I haven't come this far to lose now!"

"This is it!" said Gabumon. "We're way past the point of no return! Come on guys, we need you now more than ever! This is what everything we've done so far comes down to! Don't let it all be for nothing! Remember who you are! Remember that your families, your friends, your whole planet, and most of all, the two of us need your help right now!"

At that moment, something in the minds of the boys snapped. Somehow, their partners had reached them. The dark fog that had clouded their minds was beginning to disprese.

"A moving speech," Geno quipped. "But it will do you no good. You see, those two are mine, and nothing you can say will ever get through to them."

"You're wrong," Tai said with a slight hint of courage in his unsteady voice. "We don't belong to you."

"Yeah," said Matt. "We just needed a little reminder of who we are."

"What is this?" asked Geno upon noticing the slight change in their demeanor. "You would question ME?!"

"That's right!" said Matt. "We've had enough of you. You can't control me any more, virus!"

"That goes for me too!" said Tai. "I think we've both heard enough of your lies. Now it's time to pay…"

"Interesting," said Geno. "But still…"

Geno held up the Crests of Cowardice and Solitude.

"These babies tell the truth," said Geno. "Your hearts are still consumed by darkness. Even if you could throw off my reigns, I doubt you'd be able to do so before my little pets eat you all up."

Black Agumon and Black Gabumon got back to their feet and looked up expectantly at their master. They crooked their heads to the side curiously. Geno slowly presented his digivice, and they snapped to attention excitedly.

"Digivolving time…" said Geno.

A field of negative energy engulfed the two dark digimon and a swirling vortex began amassing around them. Geno grinned as their frames rapidly grew to impressive proportions. The vortex quickly dissipated once the change was complete, revealing Black Greymon and Black Garurumon. The evil Greymon stretched his new muscles while Black Garurumon shook his great mane. The two of them looked more than ready for battle.

"They grow up so fast," Geno said snidely.

"You ready Tai?" asked Matt.

"It all depends on Agumon," said Tai. "What do ya' think, buddy? You up for it?"

"Send me in," Agumon grimaced. "I can take the pain."

"I'm good to go," said Gabumon.

"Then let's get this party started," said Matt.

The humans held out their digivices together. On command, Agumon and Gabumon digivolved to Greymon and Garurumon. The next round was about to begin, and the odds were dead even.


	19. Reclaiming a Friend

Back at the vault, the situation was less than encouraging. Metaldracomon, in a terrible rage, had burst back into battle mode. His wounds had all repaired themselves while Piximon's remained.

"You… INSECTS!" screamed Metaldracomon. "You've pushed me for the last time, and now you will feel my wrath!"

Metaldracomon charged forward, intent on killing his opponents swiftly and brutally. He tried to strike, but his blow was blocked by a swift move from the injured Piximon. The tiny digimon was able to hold off Metaldracomon for the moment, but his strength was quickly waning.

"DigiDestined!" called Piximon. "I can't continue this fight! The ball's in your court now! I only hope you've learned enough to win!"

"Silence!" shouted Metaldracomon, slapping Piximon away with his free claw.

Piximon was knocked into the far wall. He was rendered unconscious, and would clearly be unable to provide any further assistance.

"Kari, we've got to move fast!" said TK.

"Way ahead of you!" said Kari, lifting up her crest.

TK did the same, and both of their digivices activated. With an incredible burst of light, Gatomon digivolved to Angewomon, while Patamon digivolved to Angemon, and then again to Magna Angemon. With the light show completed, the two angels stood, protecting their partners from Mealdracomon's terrible rage.

"It's over, Metaldracomon," said Magna Angemon.

"We don't want to destroy you," said Angewomon. "But don't think we'll hesitate to do it should it become necessary."

"Enough of this!" said Metaldracomon. "C'mere, pretty angels! Let me clip those wings of yours!"

Metaldracomon rushed forward, slicing at the pair with his right claw as he charged. He wasn't quite fast enough though, as both digimon were able to dodge and come around behind him. Angewomon swiftly took aim with him Celestial Arrow, firing directly for Metaldracomon's head. The metal menace though had apparently not lost his reflexes in the least, as he quickly turned about and dragged his metal claw right through the attack, dispersing it without taking any damage whatsoever. Magna Angemon charged and slammed his shoulder into Metaldracomon's belly, pushing him with incredible force across the floor and burying him nearly a foot deep in the wall. The floor had been torn up from Metaldracomon's claws as he tried to resist, and the large dent in the wall fit snuggly around his frame. Before Magna Angemon could withdraw though, Metaldracomon regained his composure and grabbed him firmly with both arms and even his tail. Caught in a vicious bear hug, Magna Angemon saw no avenue of escape open to him. Angewomon tried aiming another Celestial Arrow, but even her expert marksmanship wouldn't be able to hit Metaldracomon without significant risk to Magna Angemon. Angewomon knew her only option was to hold back and wait for just the right moment.

"I can hear your bones crumbling…" whispered Metaldracomon. "How does it feel to know you're only moments away from oblivion?"

"You haven't won yet…" croaked Magna Angemon.

Summoning all his strength, Magna Angemon flexed his muscles and began to loosen Metaldracomon's grip just enough to let him bring out his Excalibur. The purple blade quickly extended, and with truly impressive skill, Magna Angemon brought it slicing down through Metaldracomon's right arm and tail, severing a good amount of both. Suddenly released from his captor, Magna Angemon dove out of the way.

"Now!" shouted Magna Angemon.

With her carefully established aim, Angewomon released her attack. Her aim was true, and it tore through Metaldracomon's left shoulder. The shimmering shaft of light remained stuck in Metaldracomon's arm, pinning him against the wall and causing him terrible pain. He was a wretched sight to say the least. Most of his right arm and tail had been sliced away, leaving only stumps that sparked with electricity. His jaw hung open in agony, dripping his caustic drool on the floor. As he screamed, the digimon and their partners began to notice some kind of dark energy that had infested Metaldracomon's body begin to leak from the open wound in the form of bits of black data.

"Metaldracomon…" said Magna Angemon upon once again approaching his former ally. "We have no desire to kill you. We can help you. Please, don't fight us."

Metaldracomon's only reply was to continue to struggle with the burning dart in his shoulder.

"Like it or not this is for your own good," Magna Angemon said as his wings rose to attention and began to emit a rainbow of color. "Magna Anti—"

With sudden vigor, Metaldracomon tore his left arm free from the wall. Though it had cost him much of his shoulder, Metaldracomon was free once again. He smashed his palm against Magna Angemon's face, grabbing his entire head in his hand. With a mighty heave, Metaldracomon hurled Magna Angemon at Angewomon, taking them both down with a mighty blow. While they were down, Metaldracomon summoned up the inner strength given to him by the virus that coursed in his veins. He began to regenerate his damaged body, repairing bone, tissue, armor, and robotics with equal ease. Within a matter of moments, all of his injuries had completely repaired themselves.

"I am restored once again!" shouted Metaldracomon. "Don't you see that I am invincible?! You can never win against me! I will crush you insignificant creatures so easily that it'll be embarrassing!"

Magna Angemon and Angewomon were back on their feet and ready for a brawl, but they knew their chances to be rapidly diminishing. Yet, fate had another card to deal them.

"Spider Shooter!" shouted a fiery voice from the hallway.

All of the room's occupants quickly looked to see what was going on, but it was Metaldracomon who got the biggest surprise of all. A series of four projectiles smashed into him at great speed, stirring up the rubble that was becoming a very common sight in the room by that point. The next surprise came when Infermon burst into the room with Wizardmon, Meramon, Willis, Davis, Michael, Cody, Yolei, Joe, and Izzy riding on his back, all trying to stay on the behemoth by holding tightly onto his spikes.

"Guys! You made it!" said TK.

"Come and get your equipment!" said Kari, who had been left burdened with the D-terminals, crests, and digivices.

"Bottom floor: digivices, super villains, and lawn furniture" announced Infermon, lowering himself to allow his passengers off.

"Prodigious!" exclaimed Izzy, rushing over to reacquire his digivice and reacquaint himself with his crest.

"Awesome!" said Yolei, also retrieving her equipment.

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" said Davis.

Everyone else shared fairly similar jubilant expressions, but Metaldracomon was meanwhile coming back to his senses. He was just about to attack when an explosion rocked the whole room from directly overhead. A gaping hole was soon seen above, and floating down from it was Lillymon, carrying Mimi and Sora, who has holding Yokomon in one arm. They all looked very happy to see their friends alive and well. Ogremon also leapt from the hole, making a rough landing in some of the debris from the fight. Terriermon helped carry Veemon down by using his ears as a parachute. Lopmon did the same for Wormmon, while Hawkmon brought down Armadillomon, with no small complaints about his weight, and Tentomon helped out Gomamon.

"Hi everybody!" Mimi greeted warmly as Lillymon landed gently.

"Mimi!" called Joe. "You seem… happy!"

"You better believe it!" said Sora.

"We gave these two the help they needed," said Lillymon.

"Here!" TK shouted as he tossed the girls their crests and digivices.

No sooner had the girls caught their crests than waves of green and red washed over the corrupted crests, returning them to their original glory.

"We did it!" said Yokomon excitedly.

"This can't be!" shouted Metaldracomon. "This is an INSULT!"

"Like it or not, this is real!" said Sora.

"Looks like you're outnumbered, Metaldracomon!" Mimi said as confidently as ever.

"No…" snarled Metaldracomon. "This… this can't be happening!"

"Hey Willis," whispered TK. "Just how did our new friend manage to digivolve?"

"Long story," said Willis. "In a nutshell, eating half a dozen Mekanorimon AND a Giromon apparently agreed with him."

"Surrender and make it easy on yourself!" insisted Wizardmon.

"The virus shall NEVER be toppled!" yelled Metaldracomon. "And I will prove it to you NOW!!!"

Suddenly, a powerful field of electrical energy surrounded Metaldracomon, tearing up the ground at his feet and blowing the debris away from him. His hair stood up on end as his muscles swelled and metal joints creaked. Sparks of electricity shot from his eyes and curled up and down his appendages. His wings stretched to their maximum extension. His entire body quaked with incredible power.

"And now…" grunted Metaldracomon. "I'll show you the true power of this body."

Metaldracomon's lips curled up in a vicious sneer. An instant later, he unleashed a massive amount of energy. He let out a terrible scream as he pulled his head and arms back. His muscles swelled to an incredible size, and a burst of light shot from his body in all directions. Everyone in the room shielded their eyes and tried to keep from being knocked off their feet be the shock wave. Gradually, the light died down. One by one, all those present in the room reopened their eyes and slowly glanced over at where Metaldracomon had stood. As the bright light faded into nothingness, a familiar figure appeared in the midst of it. Bolts of pure energy swam around him, curling up and around his massive, sinewy muscles. His armor glinted in the dim lighting, his wings stood taut, his chest moved in and out very slowly, and his tail swished around behind him hypnotically. The most fearsome part about him, though, was undoubtedly his eyes. Those cold green eyes of his seemed to stare straight through anyone who looked into them.

"B-B-Bahadramon!" Yolei squeaked.

"No way…" gasped Davis.

"This isn't exactly encouraging," said Wormmon.

"Stand tough," said Veemon. "He can't possibly beat all of us."

The great dragon digimon slowly began walking forward.

"And now… DigiDestined," said Bahadramon in a low, but very forceful voice. "Your time has passed. Your destiny is to fall to me here, today. I can't let you interfere with the grand scheme ever a—"

For no apparent reason, Bahadramon suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes had a strange look in them. He would've seemed completely frozen in place, if not for the fact that his muscles persisted in twitching. Several seconds passed with no new developments.

"What's happening to him?" asked Angewomon.

"Beats me," said Lillymon, moving in slightly.

"He seems stunned," said Magna Angemon taking a very close look.

Angewomon tried waving her hand in front of the dragon's face, but still received no response. Lillymon tried pinching his cheek but met with similar results. It was as if Bahadramon was in some kind of trance.

"I don't think we have to worry about him attacking us like this," said Angewomon.

"You guys be careful over there!" said Gomamon.

"Relax," said Lillymon. "We're on top of things."

Suddenly, Bahadramon stumbled forward, causing the digimon around him to leap back in surprise. Bahadramon landed hard on his hands and knees. He was sweating and breathing very heavily. He was clearly in pain, but no one could determine why. Bahadramon clasped a hand over his mouth, but nothing he could do would stop the inevitable. In, suffice to say, an unsavory scene, Bahadramon vomited up some kind of think, black fluid. The stuff dripped from his sharp teeth and stuck to his long, pointed tongue. It took Bahadramon several more heaves to sufficiently clear his body of the vile substance, but finally he spit the last of it out, leaving it in a puddle on the floor. He then proceeded to stand up very weakly.

"Oh great," said Joe. "Now I think I'M gonna' be sick."

"Me first," said Davis, who was looking a little green around the gills.

The digimon surrounding Bahadramon quickly got on guard as he stood up. He slowly calmed his heavy breathing and started to look around him.

"Guys?" asked the disoriented Bahadramon. "What's going on?"

"Bahadramon?" asked Kari with slight optimism.

"Kari?" asked Bahadramon as he rubbed his head struggled to stay on his feet. "Is that you?"

"You feeling alright?" asked Magna Angemon, quickly grabbing Bahadramon's right arm to help hold him up.

"I don't know," said Bahadramon, who had to back up against a wall to keep from losing his balance.

"What is this stuff?" asked Izzy while examining the black fluid.

"I bet I know what it is," said Lopmon. "It's gotta' be part of the virus."

"You think?" asked Armadillomon, taking a closer look at the goo.

"I don't doubt it for a second," said Lopmon.

"That's how the virus had control of Metaldracomon," said Joe.

"I see…" mused Izzy. "When he digivolved, he must've become too strong for the virus to handle."

"But why?" asked Yolei. "I mean, we've seen the virus control Mega digimon before. It didn't have any problem with Diaboromon or Kerpymon or even Protomon."

"This isn't the virus itself," surmised Izzy. "I bet the real virus, the core of its being, is inside Jack right now. This stuff must be like a copy or an extension of the original. It probably wasn't as strong as the core of the virus."

As this went on, the digignome sneaked up on TK. While he was engrossed in the conversation, the digignome swiped his hat.

"Hey!" shouted TK, instinctively grabbing at his hat.

The digignome evaded TK though and quickly headed into the vault. TK went after the little creature. After several seconds of looking through the vault for the digignome, TK came across something he did not expect.

"Hey guys!" called TK. "I think you'd better get in here!"

Following TK's request both the humans and digimon headed through the trashed vault door. Mimi had grabbed the unconscious Piximon from the wreckage and brought him along. Magna Angemon continued assisting the confused and exhausted Bahadramon. The small chamber was already crowded enough, so Infermon had to settle for simply sticking his head in through the door to watch what was happening. Once everyone found TK, they instantly understood the urgency of his call. The digignome, with TK's hat on its head, perched comfortably atop a glowing white digiegg.

"It can't be," said Meramon.

"I can't believe this," said Wizardmon. "I never imagined that I'd actually one day see this most sacred of places."

"What makes this place so great?" asked Davis. "It's a base for an evil computer virus bent on world domination."

"Don't you see?" asked Meramon. "Any place where this digiegg rests is sacred."

"Wow…" said Ogremon. "So that's what it looks like."

"If we can release him, our problems are over," said Wizardmon.

"Hold it right there!" said Davis. "I don't know where you guys were a few weeks ago, but in case you hadn't noticed, the thing inside that egg almost killed us all!"

"Don't worry, Davis," Kari said reassuringly. "Protomon isn't our enemy any more."

"How do you know that?" asked Willis.

"The digignome told me so," said Kari.

That remark got Kari a few odd glances, but most of the original DigiDestined and digimon seemed to understand.

"Well… if you say so," said Davis.

"But we still don't know how to free him," said Lillymon.

"Leave that to me," said Kari.

Slowly, Kari stepped forward and placed her hands on the digiegg. It glowed even brighter in response to her touch. They could hear the slightest hint of some beautiful music in the air.

"Protomon…" prayed Kari. "Hear my voice. Listen to the battles all around us. The digital world you gave birth to is in danger. You are needed once again. Hear my prayer, noble Protomon, and respond."

A brilliant light burst forth from the egg and it completely dissolved away in Kari's hands. The light quickly engulfed everyone in the room. And then, all was still.


	20. Sovereign Wisdom

Even as all this went on, a fierce battle for the future of the Digital World was being waged. It was a grand melee as Greymon and Black Greymon tore at each other, fighting tooth and nail. Garurumon and Black Garurumon had rolled into a ball and nipped at each other with their fangs and occasionally jabbed with their claws. This was all taking place at such close-quarters that using any special attack would be impossible. Greymon was of course very careful to keep his right shoulder away from Black Greymon's snapping jaws and razor-sharp nails. He'd already sustained enough damage there and any more would probably put him out of the fight.

Black Greymon let out a fearsome roar just before lunging at Greymon, his mouth wide open. Greymon quickly countered though by spinning around and thwacking Black Greymon across the jaw with his powerful tail, decking the enraged dinosaur. With Black Greymon stunned for the moment, Greymon took the opportunity fire a Nova Blast at Black Garurumon, who had momentarily separated from Garurumon. Black Garurumon nimbly dodged to the side, but Garurumon anticipated his move and fired his Howling Blaster at just the right spot to intercept his evil counterpart. The attack hit home and launched Black Garurumon through the air right at Greymon. Greymon swiftly backhanded Black Garurumon before he could crash into him, and with a quick lash from his tail, Greymon slammed Black Garurumon into the ground.

"Go Greymon!" shouted Tai.

"You can do it Garurumon!" yelled Matt.

Black Greymon, upon seeing his companion's fall, retaliated against the distracted Greymon with a Nova Destroyer, a huge ball of blue flame that rammed into Greymon with the force of a train. Greymon was thrown across the ground, but he brought himself to a premature halt by digging his claws into the floor. Greymon shakily began to return to his feet, but only opened his eyes just in time to see Black Greymon charging at him at full-speed. One potent head-butt from the charging behemoth catapulted Greymon back against the wall. With a cruel smile, Black Greymon lowered his head and aimed right at Greymon with his deadly horns. With unheard of ferocity, Black Greymon charged, letting out a great yell as he did so. The charging beast drew closer, and closer, and closer until the very last possible second, when Garurumon stepped in, throwing himself against Black Greymon with all his strength. Black Greymon was thrown completely off balance. Not only did he veer off course from Greymon, but he also tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. The beast shuddered for a moment and his muscles flexed, but then his body went limp and a gust of air escaped his snout.

Meanwhile, the other DigiDestined and the digimon that accompanied them found themselves somewhere that they were totally unfamiliar with. All of them, even Infermon, huddled closely together. They glanced nervously in all directions, wondering what to expect. What surrounded was a dark expanse with no visible walls, ceiling, or even a floor. All that they could see was a kind of swirling, indigo mist that trailed off into eternity. They soon noticed an even more startling quality of this place. Whenever they would move, they would leave slowly fading trails as they did so. Any sound, no matter how insignificant, seemed to reverberate forever.

"Where are we?" whispered Yolei.

"I wish I knew…" said Wizardmon.

"It's so strange…" said Joe.

"Do you think this is the virus' doing?" Angewomon asked.

"No way," responded Lillymon.

"I don't get it," said Davis. "What happens now?"

"Now, is the time to listen," boomed a thunderous, and yet strangely kind voice.

Very slowly, a faint blue point of light appeared in front of the group. The light drew closer very rapidly, and as it did so it grew considerably. Before they knew what was going on, the light had seemingly filled the entire sky, and then they saw him. He hovered majestically not more than fifty feet from them. Basked in a brilliant blue aura and with an air of peace around him, Azulongmon appeared before the small group.

"Azulongmon…" gasped Meramon.

The fiery digimon very nearly fell to his knees at the very sight of the most impressive sovereign.

"Be brave, my son," said Azulongmon. "I have no need of your worship, just as you have no need to fear me."

"I can't believe it's really you, sir," said Cody. "It's been a long time."

"That it has, child," said Azulongmon.

"We missed you," said Kari.

"As I have missed you," said Azulongmon. "You have no idea how much I enjoyed learning of your heroic exploits."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Azulongmon," said Izzy. "If I may ask, where exactly are we?"

"It is, difficult to explain," said Azulongmon. "Let us just say that we have allowed you to take a small step out of reality. This place is what you might call oblivion."

"Wow…" said Izzy.

"Hey," asserted Davis. "Who exactly is 'we'?"

"'We' are the four Sovereigns," explained Azulongmon.

The group then noticed three other lights appear much like the first. To Azulongmon's left appeared a faint red light. On his right appeared a green light, and on the opposite side of the group from him appeared a white light. The group looked on in awe as the three lights drew closer and closer until three bursts of energy swallowed them up one after another just like the first and they found themselves surrounded by Sovereigns on all sides.

"These are my companions," said Azulongmon. "I am Azulongmon, the Sovereign of the east."

"I am Zuqiaomon," explained the great, red, phoenix digimon on Azulongmon's left. "I am the Sovereign to the southern quadrant."

"I am Baihumon," said the fierce-looking white tiger digimon behind them. "I am Sovereign over the digimon in the west."

"Und we be Ebonwumon," said both heads of the odd-looking turtle digimon with a forest growing from its back. "We hail from the north."

"Amazing," said Yolei. "It's just like in Kyoto."

"Hold on a minute," said Gomamon. "I thought you guys joined together to become Protomon."

"You are correct, young one," said Zuqiaomon. "We four once existed as a single entity, and now we do so again."

"We are still Protomon," said Azulongmon. "Only now, in this state, can we connect with you as individuals."

"Look, I'm sorry to rush you," said Sora. "Unfortunately, we don't have time for this. Our friends are fighting against the virus right this very second. I don't know how long they can hold on."

"Don't be afraid," said Baihumon. "They will be able to resist. Right now, you must concern yourself with what we must relate to you all."

"But Tai and Matt—" started Mimi.

"—Will not be going anywhere," finished Azulongmon. "Just listen."

"We summoned ye 'ere to tell ye some important stuff," said Ebonwumon. "This'll go a lot smoother if ye don't interrupt."

"Summoned us?" asked Michael.

"That's right," said Zuqiaomon. "It was all Azulongmon's idea. In this egg, our powers are limited, but not absent. We were able to reach one of you in his dreams. He was supposed to bring you here immediately, but he apparently failed."

"Matt…" said Sora. "So that's what the dream was all about." [See The Crest of Corruption chapter 4]

"We ran into some trouble along the way," said Izzy.

"No matter," said Azulongmon. "The past is passed. What matters is the here and now. If you have any further questions, I'd get them out of the way right now."

"I have one," said Joe. "Why didn't anyone tell us that some super-evil villain named D-Reaper nearly destroyed the entire Digital World a few months back?"

"Ah yes, that," said Azulongmon. "Simply put, we all thought it best if you didn't get involved."

"Accepting the aid of humans is not something I relish," said Zuqiaomon.

"That is the least of the reasons," said Azulongmon. "The truth is that I was doing it to protect you and your world. I was very doubtful of our chances for victory. The D-Reaper had already spread over most of the Digital World. It had even managed to gain a foothold in one of the human realms. I wanted to protect you and your world from the flame, so the gate was sealed and no effort was made to contact you. It was only shortly after the incident with Malo Myotismon, and we didn't wish to put you in any further danger."

"Hold on just one minute," said Willis. "Are you telling us that there's another human realm out there?"

"There are a total of four, actually," said Zuqiaomon. "Each quadrant connects to a different Earth. While each world may be indistinct from the other three on a much grander scale, each holds minor differences, just as it is with the different quadrants."

"Amazing," said Izzy. "So, is there another me on one of those worlds?"

"If there was, you'd never know," said Baihumon. "People are rarely the same in the different worlds. Each individual is truly unique, just as is the case with us digimon."

"Be thankful your world was protected from the D-Reaper," said Azulongmon. "Though it was defeated in the end through the valiant efforts of humans and digimon alike in the Earth connecting through the southern quadrant, the damage had been done. That Earth was lucky to escape with very little true damage, since the D-Reaper had delayed its attack in the interest of studying humans. It granted no such reprieve to we who remained in the Digital World, though. By the end, the Digital World had been completely devastated. Most of the digimon were dead or dying. We had to summon an immense amount of power to begin repairs. To restore the Digital World to the way you see it now meant draining the surviving digimon of most of their power, including ourselves."

"The drain of our own life energy reduced our powers greatly," said Zuqiaomon. "We knew that, individually, we could not continue. We gave up too much of our energy to survive. The Digital World had been restored to more than sixty percent of what it was before the D-Reaper. Digimon thrived once again. However, it nearly cost us our lives."

"We knew what had to be done," said Baihumon. "Even though it would mean breaking a vow that has stood for a millennium, we could not leave the Digital World to fend for itself. We were still needed, and so we joined our powers together. We surrendered our individuality and rejoined to create Protomon, from whom we four sprung an age ago."

"We must've spent near a month in that egg," said Ebonwumon. "The Digital World, which was so grateful for what we'd done fer her, began to amass a great deal of energy within the crater where we lay. She was tryin' to give back what we'd given her. I'm pretty sure ye know the rest o' the tale."

"We were not at full strength when we fought against you," said Azulongmon. "With all the power we gave up, we were very weak. It is for that reason alone that you are still alive today."

"We want revenge against the virus as much as you," said Zuqiaomon. "We want to make it pay not only for using us, but for all the destruction it has caused."

"The Digital World is still incredibly weak, though," said Baihumon. "We can't afford to fail now. If we can't stop the virus, everything is done for. Even though it is not nearly as strong as we once were, it is very possible that it could completely destroy this fragile world which we fought so hard to preserve."

"Aye, lads," said Ebonwumon. "These be dire times. Even when our strength is unleashed, I'm not certain we can defeat this virus. Remember that we're not what we used to be. We may still need ye humans to take up the fight."

"Azulongmon, what can you tell us about this base?" asked Tentomon. "Maybe that can help us in some way."

"The base has been abandoned for many years," began Azulongmon. "It was once used by the Guardians, a group that was led by the one you know as Gennai. Though they were few in numbers, they are solely responsible for recruiting the DigiDestined, the human warriors of the east. It is here that they created the digivices and stored the digieggs that would one day grow into your partner digimon."

"Hey, I remember this story," said TK. "We heard it years ago when that… thing… took control of Kari. I remember that Piedmon came storming in and tried to take the digieggs."

"Luckily, Gennai prevented that," said Azulongmon. "But Piedmon did not completely fail. He seized the crests and scattered the Guardians. The base was abandoned and left to rot. Piedmon was even successful in infusing a powerful computer program into Gennai. The program caused him to age a great deal in a short amount of time. Though he could not kill Gennai, Piedmon had eliminated him as a threat. Unable to carry on the fight in such a state, Gennai set to work preparing for the arrival of seven DigiDestined from Earth."

"And that's where we come in," said Mimi.

"Well that certainly clears up a thing or two," said Joe.

"Your explanations have been most informative," said Izzy. "But one thing still has me perplexed. I still for the life of me can't think of why we never knew about the Digital World very nearly being totally wiped out so recently."

"It was obviously just dumb luck," said TK. "Don't you remember how there was about a month when we were all in the real world? I don't remember hearing of anyone even trying to open the Digiport during that time. The older guys was just so happy to be seeing their digimon again that I don't think anyone really gave it much thought, and the rest of us were really trying to rest up. Besides all that, I don't think anyone really wanted to go to the Digital World for a little while there… too many bad memories."

"An inspired answer," said Zuqiaomon.

"I guess that seems logical," said Izzy.

"Well I hope that answers all your questions," said Azulongmon. "Right now, there is information vital to your survival that we must share with you."

At that very moment, things had seemingly come to a stalemate on the battlefield. Greymon and Garurumon were both sweating and breathing heavily as they tried to ignore their wounds. Their evil counterparts had recovered from the most recent blows dealt to them, and were as ready for battle as ever. Both teams had fallen back to be with their partners, and seemed to be engaged in a classic stare-down.

"Enough of this, Geno!" said Tai. "This fight is pointless!"

"I do hope you're not thinking about leaving," said Geno. "The fun is just getting started, after all."

"Geno, you are one sick dude," said Matt.

"Why thank you," said Geno. "I'm afraid that compliments will get you nowhere, though. When all is said and done, I'll still be on top, and you'll both be dead."

"Don't worry, guys," said Greymon. "We're on top of it."

"I certainly hope so," replied Tai.

"If I may interject…" said a sinister voice from the door behind the DigiDestined.

All eyes quickly turned and beheld the sight of the Emperor walking confidently into the room.

"Emperor…" muttered Geno. "I believe I told you that I would handle this situation myself."

"Of that I had no doubt, master," Ken said with a bow. "But having completed my own task, I felt it would be a valuable learning experience to come watch you work."

"Very well," said Geno. "Just remain behind me and keep quiet."

"As you wish," said Ken, swiftly walking across the long room.

He finally came to a stop at Geno's side. He wore a cruel smile as always.

"Great, just great," said Matt.

"This is exactly what we didn't need," said Tai.

Yet no one who was there could have possibly predicted what plan the Emperor had tucked up his sleeve.


	21. The Emperor's Betrayal

"The danger facing this world is greater than ever before," said Azulongmon.

"What do you mean?" asked Magna Angemon, who still supported Bahadramon.

"Over the years, we've witnessed the increasing evil presence," said Zuqiaomon. "For an entire age, our world was at peace, until one day…"

Back in the lab, Greymon managed to dig his claws into Black Greymon's chest, ushering forth a surge of black blood that splashed against Greymon, covering most of his face and right arm.

"It started in my realm," said Azulongmon. "One day, without warning, a great evil power emerged from behind the wall of flame. Though I didn't know what it was exactly, I knew it was very evil, and incredibly powerful. I dispatched my nine warriors, whom I had established to guard my territory. They quickly began their investigation, but what they found they could never have prepared themselves for."

"What was it?" asked Cody.

"What came out from the flame I could not have predicted," said Azulongmon. "It was one of the few, but fearsome demon-type digimon. Making it worse was the fact that it was one of the most powerful of all such digimon. It was a beast that had been so tempered by its suffering within the flame, that it was nearly indestructible. In fact, the vile thing had gained mastery over the flames themselves, using them for it's own purposes."

"So what happened to these warriors of yours?" asked Davis.

"They were taken completely by surprise," said Azulongmon, who was clearly pained by his memories. "The beast defeated them all one by one, draining their powers away and sealing them somewhere where they could no longer threaten him. Only one of the nine digimon escaped, but he had been greatly weakened."

By that time, Garurumon was tearing at Black Garurumon's ears and ramming the evil digimon into submission. The creature was bleeding more with every blow, but was unrelenting in its bloodlust. It continued to inflict gouges and lacerations whenever it could.

"The situation in the east had grown dire," said Zuqiaomon. "I had offered the use of my Devas in aiding Azulongmon, but he decided to take a path that I believed folly."

"What did you do?" asked Mimi.

"I called upon humans to assist me," said Azulongmon. "They were, much like you are now, DigiDestined. In fact, they were the first. There were ten in all. Five humans paired with five digimon."

"Does that mean… my dad?" asked Cody.

"Yes," said Azulongmon very plainly. "Hiroki Hida was among those first few DigiDestined, as was Yukio Oikawa. They and three other humans endured many hardships in the Digital World, far removed from my guidance. The beast's expanding influence kept me from reaching them myself, but my agents were able to provide some support. They grew stronger with time, and in a short while they had grown very strong indeed, for the beast began to go after them himself."

"You insects!" yelled Geno. "How could you do this to my precious dark digimon?!"

"All too easy," said Greymon, standing over the broken body of Black Greymon.

"You shouldn't mess with pros like us," said Garurumon.

"You've caused my patience to wear thin," said Geno. "Now I'll show you the power of my influence."

"So what happened then?" asked Sora. "Was it a bad fight?"

"Oh yes, very terrible," said Azulongmon. "It raged for hours. The demon digimon would not surrender the power he'd gained, but the DigiDestined had the light on their side. All of their digimon were at their Mega levels, and still the evil digimon resisted. His power was far too great to be overcome so easily. Finally, I broke through his dark barrier to provide assistance directly. I stepped in to fight the beast one on one, telling the children what must be done. They quickly followed my instructions, for as I dueled with the beast, they reached my fallen warriors, who were still trapped in the demon's lair. My warriors were freed, and together, we all managed to conquer the beast."

"But that's not the end of it, lads," said Ebonwumon.

"Indeed," said Azulongmon. "Although the demon's body was beaten and his power shattered, we couldn't kill him for fear of his being reconfigured, and we couldn't just let him live on. I did what had to be done, banishing him to a place separate from the Digital World. I banished him to a place reflecting his mind, a sanctuary of evil. I sent him to what you know as the Dark Ocean. After that incident, I created a dark whirlpool in my own seas so that I could bind all the defeated evil digimon in a place that they could not escape, but where I could also watch over their tormented spirits."

"The dark whirlpool?" asked TK. "You mean that place that Ken…"

"Correct," said Azulongmon. "But even until today I regret the events surrounding that tortured soul I banished to the Dark Ocean… Daemon…"

"Daemon?!" shouted the DigiDestined and digimon who were familiar with the villain.

"Yes, Daemon," said Azulongmon. "He was the one who the first DigiDestined fought against. After he was banished, he began to slowly build his power again. It took him many, many years, but now he is once again at full strength, albeit trapped."

"Yep, yep," said Davis. "He got out for a little while, but we took care of him."

"I know, and I am thankful," said Azulongmon.

"Hey Azulongmon," said Willis. "Who were those nine warriors?"

"They were the predecessors of the DigiDestined," said Azulongmon. "Nine digital humans partnered with nine digimon. Each human was made up of the same pool of data as was used for their digimon, so they were kind of alternate parts of the same being. In short, they were Gennai and his associates, the Guardians."

Geno nonchalantly reached into his jacket pocket and extracted the Crests of Cowardice and Solitude. He grinned evilly as he once again gripped his digivice.

"Black Greymon! Black Garurumon!" shouted Geno. "Fix yourselves up so we can move on!"

Both digimon instantly stood up and their injuries began to heal very quickly. It was all to apparent that the unique healing abilities of the virus would make this fight far more difficult than either Tai or Matt could have anticipated. Within seconds, both evil digimon were restored to full health, and were very much ready to go.

"Now then…" said Geno. "Time to dance."

His digivice began to shake violently in his hand and the two crests began to send out pulses of negative energy. The evil digimon began to resonate with the crests, glowing with a dark light.

"Black Greymon, Black Garurumon…" said Geno. "Dark digivolve."

"Daemon was not the last threat though," said Zuqiaomon. "Some years later, our evil counterparts, the Dark Masters, emerged once again after years of existing beyond our sight."

"They came from out of nowhere," said Baihumon. "Though our power was greater, they overwhelmed us one by one, using the element of surprise to their own dark ends."

"They sealed us away," said Ebonwumon. "We could do nothing to stop them."

"I was their final target," said Azulongmon. "Before they could conquer me, I ordered the Guardians to recruit new DigiDestined to stop them. Even though I was once again powerless to aid them, my servants fought on, trying desperately to do what had to be done. Still, they were eventually overtaken, and their ancient order was shattered. When Piedmon came to this base to destroy the works of the Guardians, Gennai managed to escape with the eight digieggs."

"…And we show up a few years later," said Izzy. "We land on File Island, beat Devimon, and the rest is history."

"And it is still going on," said Azulongmon. "Despite all of your victories, it has only been getting worse with time. The evil digimon continue getting stronger. I'm just amazed you haven't seen the whole truth yet."

"What whole truth?" asked Joe.

"The truth that what has been happening is part of one plan," said Zuqiaomon. "That the evil forces have been playing us for fools ever since Daemon first stepped out from behind the wall of flame."

"All evil digimon are part of this 'grand scheme'," said Azulongmon. "Although most never realize it, they are all drawn to answer a call to evil that courses through their minds every hour of every day. They have all been working towards a common goal, and now we are in the midst of facing a challenge unlike any we've seen before."

"The legends…" said Magna Angemon. "Could they possibly be true?"

"I'm afraid they are," said Azulongmon. "Three terrible evil forces have arisen from the past. The Deceiver, the Corrupter, and the Destroyer have come once again into our lands."

"Who?" asked Kari.

"You've already faced them all at least once," said Azulongmon. "In fact, you faced the Destroyer before any. He was in the employ of the Dark Masters back then. He was nowhere even close to his full potential, and none realized who he truly was, not even him. Still, you had beaten him before he became a real threat to anyone, saving us all a great deal of concern."

"Devimon…" TK said with a shudder.

"When he was beaten his data was sealed away," said Azulongmon. "He was trapped in the dark whirlpool, and as long is he remained so, he could never pose a threat again."

"Well what about the others?" asked Cody.

"The Deceiver…" said Baihumon. "He is the weakest of the three when at his full potential. In fact you've already beaten him."

"No doubt, you mean Myotismon," said Angewomon.

"Yes," said Baihumon. "And judging by how hard it was for you to finally crush his evil spirit, I tell you that defeating the Corrupter will be next to impossible."

"Let me guess," said Hawkmon. "The Corrupter is the virus."

"Bingo," said Ebonwumon. "You're a bright lad."

"So you're saying we're on the last one?" asked Armadillomon. "Sounds like good news to me."

"Far from it," said Azulongmon.

Finally, the dark energies surrounding the evil digimon subsided, and their new forms were revealed. Black Metalgreymon and Black Weregarurumon looked just as savage as ever, but now their bodies had grown vastly stronger. Making it worse was the fact that without their crests, Tai and Matt could provide no counter.

"One step closer…" said Geno. "I can almost taste your fear. It's delicious!"

Black Weregarurumon bent down on all fours and started scratching behind his ear with his hind leg. Black Metalgreymon dug at the floor with his toes.

"You just think you're so tough…" said Tai.

"Wrong," said Geno. "I know I am."

"I'm sure it'll make you so proud to beat us when your digimon are Ultimates and ours are just Champions," said Matt.

"Oh please," said Geno. "You must think I'm a complete idiot if you think I'll fall for this. Face it, you can't win."

The two Ultimates began to move forward painfully slowly, drawing ever closer to the humans and their digimon.

"The threat grows with every day," said Azulongmon. "The virus is incredibly crafty, and it will take every advantage it can get. Right now, we know what it plans, and only when we all act together can we finally stop it once and for all."

"And then it'll all be over?" asked Veemon.

"You wish," said Baihumon. "Thanks to your little friend, the Emperor, there's a much larger threat out there."

"Huh?" asked the whole group.

"The Destroyer lives," said Azulongmon. "When the seal on the whirlpool was breached and Devimon's spirit was extracted for the creation of Kimeramon, he was freed once again. Although Kimeramon fell, the Destroyer survived. That is a common trait among the three; they always survive. Now, the Destroyer is alive, even though he probably doesn't even know what he really is. He's out there, though, and in time he will rise and assume his true power once again. And when that happens, not even the combined powers of Malo Myotismon and the virus could compare to those of the Destroyer."

"So what do we need to do?" asked Davis.

"Simple," said Azulongmon. "Let us take care of things. When we reawaken as Protomon, we should be strong enough to bring an end to the virus once and for all. Once done, we can reassume our vigil of watching over this world, and we will be ready when the Destroyer finally shows his face."

"So that's it?" asked Davis. "You mean we don't have to do anything."

"It's more appropriate to say you don't GET to do anything," said Zuqiaomon. "Once this battle is completed, you humans will be expelled from our world once and for all!"

"What?!" asked Michael. "Azulongmon, is this true?!"

"I'm afraid so," said Azulongmon. "We can no longer have you here. Humans represent a significant variable. They have the potential for both great good and great evil. The dark forces would almost certainly use you to further their own interests, as they have already done with your friends Ken and Jack. Besides, you have your own lives and your own world to deal with. It is beast for everyone if we keep our worlds distinct."

"So we never get to see our digimon again?" asked Sora.

"I'm sorry," said Azulongmon. "I know it is painful, but it is the way things must be. Our judgement is final."

"You've… you've got to be kidding," said Willis.

"There's no sense in dwelling on this," said Baihumon. "Right now, let's try to focus on stopping the virus."

"You are right, my friend," said Azulongmon. "But there is one last thing, children. It seems that another force is actively working with the three great evils, and I believe it is they who are responsible for much of the current situation. This 'Vanguard' is as old as we Sovereigns are, and I fear that they may still seek to interfere in matters. Be wary if you should ever see them."

"Young lass," said Ebonwumon to Kari. "Now is your time to do what is necessary. Now you must hand over the blessing that has been with you all of your life."

"What?" asked Kari. "What about me?"

"Kari…" said Azulongmon. "You have always carried in you a strange power. It is this power which has caused many digimon to seek you out. Now is the time to release that power for the purpose it was designed for."

"What do you mean?" asked Kari nervously.

"Your power, Kari," said Azulongmon. "It is a seed of light. Return it to us, and we can once again awaken as Protomon, and then we can put an end to all of this."

A very tense moment followed. Kari and Azulongmon stared into each other's eyes. All other eyes glance back and forth between the two of them. All was perfectly quiet.

"Alright…" whispered Kari.

She closed her eyes as a gentle white light surrounded her body. Everything was utterly silent as the light spread outward, engulfing everything completely.

Geno was laughing to himself with demented joy as his loyal digimon drew closer and closer to their prey. He was so focussed that he didn't see what was happening behind him until it was too late. In the blink of an eye, someone grabbed the Crests of Cowardice and Solitude and wrenched them from Geno's hands. With perfect aim, the two crests were lobbed across the room, sailing right into the waiting hands of Tai and Matt. Geno spun around in a fury to see what had happened, but all he saw was the Emperor, smiling wickedly at his own treachery to his former master.

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[Well, that's another chapter. I know the last few haven't exactly been action-packed, but come on, REVIEW! Surely you must have SOME thoughts on what the Sovereigns have been talking about. After all, they are spilling a whole lot of valuable plot information. What about Ken? What's up with him? Doesn't anyone have a comment or two? Not to pressure y'all, but if I'm going to take the time to write all this, I'd appreciate it if you wrote a sentence or two in reponse.]


	22. Twist of Fate

[Well it's good to know that at least one person is still reading. I suppose that's all I can really ask for. And as long as someone out there is listening, I'll keep on writing. I was kinda' hoping to have this fic done by the end of August, but that's looking unlikely. When I started, I had no idea it would last as long as it has. But down to business, I'm sure you (however many of you there may be) can't wait to see how the fates of the virus and the DigiDestined are about to change. This is a big chapter, and things are about to turn completely around. And so, without further ado…]

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"What have you done?!" demanded Geno.

"Exactly what was necessary," Ken replied coolly.

"You TRAITOR!" screamed Geno. "How could you do this to me?!"

"DigiDestined!" shouted the Emperor, ignoring Geno. "Use what I have given you to crush this creature!"

"Ken?" called Matt. "Are you back to normal?"

"Hardly," replied the Emperor. "But don't think I've sided with you! Just think of it as a temporary alliance to deal with a mutual enemy!"

"We'll take what we can get!" said Tai. "You ready Matt?"

"Way ahead of you," said Matt as he gripped his crest firmly and once again laid his hands on his digivice.

"Let's do this," said Tai, also readying his digivice.

Greymon and Garurumon smiled in anticipation as they once again felt the power of the crests coursing through them. The darkness covering the crests shattered, revealing the true crests beneath and restoring them to their former glory.

"Greymon!" yelled Tai.

"Garurumon!" shouted Matt.

"DIGIVOLVE!" they screamed together.

A wave of energy shot from the digivices and washed over the two digimon. The golden light stunned the dark digimon and the corrupted humans, forcing them all to shield their eyes. Several moments passed with the room filled with the flickering light, but then as quickly as it came, the surge blinked out of existence, leaving Metalgreymon and Weregarurumon to rejoin the fight.

"Time's up, virus," said Metalgreymon.

"You're done," said Weregarurumon.

"Black Metalgreymon! Black Weregarurumon!" yelled Geno. "Destroy these insects! No more games!"

Both evil digimon charged, and all were quickly locked in a fierce battle.

"That won't work," the Emperor condescended. "I think you'll find yourself completely outmatched. I don't doubt for a second that Metaldracomon has already been beaten, and you have no backup."

"Filthy human WRETCH!" yelled Geno. "I will not be talked to this way!"

"Human?" asked Ken. "Not entirely…"

"Wha—" started Geno.

"You claim to be so intelligent," said Ken. "And yet you never realized who the mon was behind the man. You didn't think twice about what it would mean when you reactivated my dark spore."

"No…" grimaced Geno. "It couldn't possibly be you!"

"But it IS!" said the Emperor with a wicked smile.

"Milleniumon…" Geno said with a sneer. "I'd hoped we had done away with you for good."

"You should know by now that I'm a better survivor than even you," said Ken, or rather Milleniumon. "And I do it without any help from the Vanguard."

"Insolent worm! You can't betray me! You wouldn't even EXIST without me!"

"I only answer to one authority, and since _he_ isn't here…"

"I always knew you were too wild to be controlled. But tell me, what do you plan to do in that weak, human form?"

At that moment, Black Metalgreymon had shoved Metalgreymon back against a wall and drove his knee up into Metalgreymon's belly. Metalgreymon gagged for a moment, but swiftly retaliated by backhanding the beast across the face with his heavy, metal arm. Black Metalgreymon's head twisted to the side and he stumbled back a few steps, giving Metalgreymon a short reprieve to catch his breath.

"My plans were foiled some time ago by those weaklings," said Milleniumon. "I had created a perfect Kimeramon that I would soon be able to transfer my consciousness into once he digivolved, thus restoring me to my former glory. Alas, my new body was slain, and my control of this human was shattered. I had to content myself for months to observe the workings of that fool Malo Myotismon. I could only watch as he made his bid for domination of the Digital World as well as a human one."

"But why side with these humans over me?!" demanded Geno. "They would destroy you at the first opportunity! The killed your body! They've kept you from reaching your goal!"

"But I have a much older score to settle… with you. You and your brethren have always enjoyed the most power, always flaunting it in our faces. Well my associate and I have had enough!"

"Associate? Who?!"

"Why, none other than our dear friend Daemon!"

Weregarurumon threw a left jab at Black Weregarurumon's face, but the evil digimon pulled his head back and to the right, avoiding the blow. With impressive agility, Black Weregarurumon then caught Weregarurumon's arm by the wrist before he could pull it back and drew the digimon in closer, where he brought his knee up into Weregarurumon's stomach. Weregarurumon's eyes bulged for a minute and he was knocked breathless. Several more blows to the gut caused Weregarurumon to collapse, leaving him dangling in Black Weregarurumon's grip.

"Daemon!" shouted Geno. "That vile worm!"

"He and I have had enough," said Milleniumon. "He came to rescue me months ago after masterminding his escape from the Dark Ocean, but unfortunately, Malo Myotismon and his pathetic servants, as well as the DigiDestined interfered. Daemon was banished back to the Dark Ocean, and I was left to rot in this human's body. I was used by Malo Myotismon to reopen a gate into the Digital World. If it weren't for that fool slowing us down and allowing the DigiDestined to defeat Daemon, he and I could be ruling this entire quadrant right now!"

"A fascinating story, but I think I've heard enough. I've been given the power, not you. I won't let you take it away from me, and I'll see to it that you never get the chance to interfere in the business of the chosen again! "

Geno's eyes began to glow solid white, and a gentle wind seemed to float up around him. Shattered glass, rubble, and globs of green ooze from the shattered tanks that once held the two black digimon all rose into the air as if they were weightless. Geno's hair stood up on end, and his Crest of Corruption made its fiery glow visible once again.

"Do what you will to this body," said Milleniumon. "I'll find another in due course."

"Not after what I have planned," said Geno.

The Crest of Corruption shot out a wave of red light. Ken was knocked to the ground with incredible force and slid back into a wall, but one thing was left hovering where he had stood: the dark spore.

"Nice of you to show your face, Milleniumon," said Geno.

Weregarurumon was on the edge of unconsciousness. He strained to move, but was far too weakened by Black Weregarurumon's brutal attack. He lay helplessly on the ground as his evil counterpart pressed his foot down on his face. Black Garurumon let out a hyena-like laugh as he prepared to crush Weregarurumon, quite literally, underfoot. Weregarurumon shut his eyes tight, but the finishing blow never came. Instead, Metalgreymon dealt with Black Weregarurumon with a single blow from his massive tail. The force of the strike catapulted Black Weregarurumon across the room and sent him crashing into a group of the ooze-filled capsules, causing them all to shatter around him. He fell to the ground, his fur saturated with the noxious fluid.

Geno had meanwhile taken hold of the dark spore and looked at it very intently.

"You should have learned this lesson long ago, Milleniumon," said Geno. "Those who disobey me all end up dead."

Geno was just about to crush the dark spore in his hand, thus wiping out the last vestiges of Milleniumon once and for all, but a cruel voice stopped him before he could carry it out.

"Hold, Corrupter."

With a maddened look in his eyes, Geno glanced into the darkness from whence the voice came. A tall figure in a black hooded robe stepped into the light a second later. His crimson eyes glowed with a terrible power.

"Do not destroy that spore," said the figure.

"Why not?!" demanded Geno. "The Vanguard can't possibly want Milleniumon to live on!"

"Milleniumon is of no concern to us," said the figure. "But that spore contains something infinitely more valuable than any of us. You are to hand it over immediately."

"You won't rob me of my vengeance!" said Geno. "Don't forget that I still have the white digiegg, and I could unleash Protomon once again, and he would destroy you all!"

"Wake up you blind FOOL!" yelled the enraged messenger. "You've already lost control of that accursed digiegg! Protomon is very much awake, and now he will KILL you for your arrogance!"

"What?!" asked Geno. "No! It's impossible! He can't be alive!"

"But he is…" said the figure. "We warned you about this. We told you to destroy that digiegg while you had the chance, but you were so blinded by your pride that you could not even conceive of your being defeated like this."

"No… NO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!"

"There is still hope for you yet. Hand me the spore, and all will be forgiven."

Geno scrutinized the messenger for a few moments. The nearby sounds of battle raged in his ears. A quick glance confirmed that his minions were losing.

"Fine!" shouted Geno. "Take it!"

Geno practically shoved his hand in the figure's face. With unusual care, the man lifted his hand up and gently took the spore. Geno let his hand fall limply at his side while the figure held the spore between his thumb and index finger, glancing at it carefully.

"You have done well…" said the figure.

"Yeah, yeah," said Geno. "Now what?"

Just then, Black Weregarurumon slid along the floor after receiving a hearty blow. He came to a stop just behind Geno, and his tongue lolled out from his mouth. The figure took no notice of this. He was concentrating deeply on the spore. Suddenly, sparks of red light began swimming up and down the seed, and even curling around the man's slender fingers. Within seconds, the streams of electricity had multiplied to the point of completely covering the spore, and in a sudden burst of energy, the outer layer of the seeed was torn away and destroyed, leaving a black, perfectly shaped sphere in the man's hand.

"Goodbye, Milleniumon," said the figure.

"What?!" demanded Geno.

"You were right," said the figure. "Milleniumon was too unpredictable to be allowed to serve us. We'll let him rot in the dark whirlpool for a few centuries. Maybe then he'll become a bit more trustworthy."

"But… why did you…?" stammered Geno.

"Your crude methods would have destroyed the most important aspect of the spore. And now that we hold it once again, we can use the power it contains towards the end it was meant for. As for you, you have dug your own grave. If you are somehow able to survive this situation, we will consider forgiving your failures. However, don't expect any help from us. Good day…"

With a demonic laugh, the figure melded back into the shadows along with the dark spore. Milleniumon was dead, and Geno found himself abandoned. Whatever thread of sanity was holding his mind together had been cut by this final insult. He turned back to look at his minions. His body was hunched over, he shook violently, and he drooled from his open mouth. The sight of his now beaten and battered digimon was too much for him.

"No… no, no, NO!!!" screamed Geno. "This can't be happening! It wasn't supposed to be like this! It's not right!"

"Face it," said a weak voice behind Geno. "You're in way too deep with no way out."

Geno turned to face Ken, who had recovered from the blow dealt to him, and was now free of Milleniumon and the Emperor.

"Give it up!" called Tai.

"You lose," said Matt.

"No… I don't lose," said Geno. "I can't lose! I WON'T lose! Black Metalgreymon! Black Weregarurumon! Digivolve, digivolve, DIGIVOLVE!!!"

The Crest of Corruption exploded with energy, sending out a wave of red light that washed over the two fallen dark digimon. Their eyes shot open and they sprung to life. Their forms were completely consumed with the burning light. The crest threw out such power that Ken, Matt, Tai, and even Metalgreymon and Weregarurumon were all thrown back against the walls. Rings of flame encircled the two dark digimon and Geno smiled with maniacal glee.

"I'll show you all!" screamed Geno. "No one will ever defeat me! I will destroy you all! DigiDestined! Protomon! Vanguard! You are NOTHING to me!"

One final surge of light swept over the room, and then it all stopped. A pair of digimon, their eyes closed and the bodies rolled into a fetal position, slowly floated down to the floor. They extended their appendages at just the right time to land firmly on their feet. Then, they opened their eyes with deliberate slowness. On Geno's right stood the mighty Black Wargreymon, and on his left stood the terrifying Black Metalgarurumon.

"Almost done," said Geno. "Almost done. It's coming. Soon, I alone shall reign over this world, and there will be none to stop me!"

The whole room was hit with a sudden shock, when a pillar of pure white light tore through the center of the room, dividing Geno, his digimon, and Ken from Tai, Matt, Weregarurumon, and Metalgreymon. The stream of light reached from floor to ceiling and left a gaping hole once it dissipated. Everyone just stared at the gaping holes on both sides of the room for a second before a surprise emerged from one of the holes. Lillymon, Infermon, Birdramon, Magna Angemon, and Angewomon all leaped into the open, ready for a fight. All the other DigiDestined and their digimon, as well as Ogremon, Wizardmon, Meramon, and the visibly weakened Bahadramon quickly followed them.

"Tai!" shouted Kari. "You're okay!"

"Matt!" called TK.

"Uh… hi guys," said Tai in bewilderment.

"Your timing couldn't be better," Matt assured.

"Hope we didn't miss too much," said Ogremon. "I'm lookin' forward to some smashing!"

"Where's Ken at, you monster?!" Wormmon demanded of Geno.

"Wormmon!" yelled Ken. "Stay back!"

"Ken?" asked Yolei. "Are you really back to normal?"

"That's what we figure," said Tai.

"Alright!" said Davis. "Now we're cooking!"

"What luck!" said Geno. "You've all come just in time to be SLAUGHTERED!"

"Oh Jack…" whispered Kari. "How can this have happened to you?"

"The boy is not here!" yelled Geno. "Now, I am the only one!"

"Jack, wake up!" hollered Bahadramon, stepping towards his old partner. "I know you can hear me! You've got to fight the virus!"

"Stay back!" yelled Geno. "No one takes another step!"

"I'm afraid we've got you outgunned," said Sora.

"They've backed you into a corner," said Ken as he removed his Emperor glassed and cape. "You're out of options."

"Not yet!" said Geno. "I still have my trump card!"

"And we still have ours!" said TK.

"You should listen to the children," said a very noble, very commanding voice from within the gaping hole in the wall. "Right now, what they have to say is your only hope for survival."

"No…" gasped Geno. "It's just not possible!"

A three-fingered, purple, scaled hand gripped the side of the opening, and a figure of absolute power stepped up onto a pile of smoldering rubble. In his right hand he gripped the hilt of his powerful sword, which was resting in the belt of his sash. A white cape was draped over him. He looked just as he did the last time they'd all seen him, only now the light in his eyes no longer shone a deadly red, but a gentle, wise blue. Protomon was restored.


	23. The Beginning of the End

[Wow, I'm really movin' now. Okay, before we get started, there's a few questions to answer. For Silver Warrior, I'll clarify the whole Daemon thing. After he was defeated by the first DigiDestined, Daemon reverted back to his egg form and was banished to the dark ocean. He began digivolving again over time, and so he actually was Dragomon when he was first seen in the series. He later became Daemon again, and that's when he managed to break free. For Roby Murphy, this is far from the last story. There's still quite a few to go. As for how they'll get back to the Digital World, well… you'll just have to read and find out. Now then, before I can use any more of your time, here we go…]

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"Corrupter, I suggest you listen well, because I won't repeat myself," said Protomon. "Stand down now, or suffer the consequences of your actions."

"You can't order me around," said Geno. "No one can do that… NO ONE!"

"I will not extend another chance to surrender," said Protomon. "Don't push your luck."

"You'll be destroyed just like all the others!" said Geno. "I can't be stopped! You hear me?! I am PERFECT!"

"So be it…" said Protomon, as an expression of great anger came over his face.

"Blackwargreymon! Blackmetalgarurumon!" shouted Geno. "Take him down NOW!"

Blackwargreymon started to move forward to attack, but before he could even take one step, Protomon moved in and shoved his right elbow up into Blackwargreymon's gut. The power of the blow was so great that just that single hit caused Blackwargreymon to cough up a mouthful of black blood. Protomon quickly swiveled his torso and hit Blackwargreymon in the face with a palm strike that launched him back across the room and buried him in the wall. Blackmetalgarurumon dove at Protomon from behind, but while he was still in the air, Protomon leaped straight up and struck him across the face with a spinning kick that threw him to the wall opposite Blackwargreymon.

"I certainly hope that's not the best you can offer," said Protomon. "I didn't even break a sweat."

Geno looked on in absolute terror. His jaw hung open and his eyes bulged. He tried to back away from Protomon, but the great digimon advanced towards him at the same pace that Geno stepped backwards.

"Do you see it now?!" demanded Protomon. "Can you feel it?! Do you understand what it's like to fear for your life?! This is the very same feeling you've forced on not only my digimon, but also upon these children here!"

"No!" said Geno. "Stay back you monster! Stay away from me!"

"You are beyond redemption," said Protomon very coldly.

Protomon took a step closer, but before he could take another he sensed Blackwargreymon's charging. He lifted his hand just in time to catch Blackwargreymon's claw before it struck him. Blackwargreymon looked down at Protomon with beastly savagery, but Protomon returned only an emotionless glance before hurling the evil creature across the room once again, this time landing him on Blackmetalgarurumon, who had only begun to recover. Once those two were taken care of, Protomon returned his gaze to Geno.

"Y-you wouldn't h-hurt me," whimpered Geno. "You don't want to harm this body, do you?"

"I have more effective ways of dealing with you than harming the boy," said Protomon. "You should never have underestimated me."

"Face it, virus," said Ken, who had now removed all of the Emperor's outfit, and was back to his normal self. "You've lost, and have only yourself to blame."

"This… this is not acceptable!" screamed the virus, amidst what appeared to be tears forming in his eyes. "This isn't how it was supposed to happen!"

"Hey Matt," whispered TK. "Is it just me, or is Geno actually crying?"

"I know…" said Matt. "I can't believe it either."

"You are too late," said Protomon. "What you have done can never be forgiven. You are the enemy of all who live, and so you must be dealt with before you can follow through on your most wicked of designs."

"Mark my words, Protomon," Geno grumbled as he shut his eyes tight to stem the increasing flow of tears. "One of these days, _he_ will be reborn, and then you'll pay. You'll pay the ULTIMATE price. You and your precious Digital World will all be destroyed!"

"We are finished here," said Protomon. "And so are you."

"Think again, Protomon!" shouted Geno.

Geno's eyes suddenly shot open, revealing that they were once again glowing pure white. His Crest of Corruption activated and created a shell or red energy around him. Protomon was caught off guard by the sudden release of energy, but held his ground despite the strong winds. He crossed his arms in front of his face like a shield and dug his clawed toes into the floor to hold himself in position.

"Digimon, come to me!" yelled Geno.

Blackwargreymon and Blackmetalgarurumon sprang to life and swiftly rejoined their master while everyone else was occupied.

"Blackwargreymon! Exit!" Geno commanded.

Without a word, Blackwargreymon leaped straight up and began spinning like a drill, using his Black Tornado attack to burrow up through the ceiling.

"Well, it's been fun," said Geno. "However I really must be going. Before I leave though, I must say I'm surprised how easily you all fell for that little ploy there. Your gullibility gave me just enough time to build up my power. Now that that's said, I bid you all adieu."

The glowing sphere of light around Geno picked him and Blackmetalgarurumon off the ground and carried them up through the hole made by Blackwargreymon.

"Jack! No!" yelled Bahadramon. "Come back!"

Without a moment of hesitation, Bahadramon ran forward and stepped around Protomon. He launched himself upward through the large, circular hole in hot pursuit of Geno and his digimon.

"Bahadramon! Wait!" shouted Kari.

"It's too late," said Protomon. "He is taking his fate in his own hands now."

"Can't we do anything?!" yelled Davis.

"Of course we can," said Protomon, glancing back at the DigiDestined. "But first, I must insist that you all leave immediately."

"Not a chance!" said Tai.

"What…?" asked Protomon.

"Look, I don't care if you ARE the ruler of the whole Digital World," said Tai. "We're still DigiDestined, and we aren't leaving until it's all over!"

"Is… this how you all feel?" asked Protomon.

The other DigiDestined and their digimon nodded solemnly.

"Perhaps I underestimated your dedication," said Protomon.

"We just want to see things through," said Tai.

"I like you, young man," said Protomon. "You've convinced me to let you stay."

"Hold on just one second!" said Mimi.

Everyone turned to look at the girl, and then they saw the unconscious Piximon in her hands.

"This is really dangerous!" said Mimi, on the brink of tears. "Now I know that most of us have to be there… I've accepted that. But I won't let anyone go out there that we don't absolutely need. We've already lost a dear friend today. I don't want any more of our friends to sacrifice themselves for our fight like Andromon did…"

"Hey, Mimi," said Ogremon. "It's not just your fight! It's ours too. This is our world, and I want to defend it right alongside you."

"No, Ogremon," said Wizardmon. "She's right. We wouldn't be any help at all up there. We just need to stay back and pray that they can pull off another miracle."

"C'mon," said Meramon. "They can handle this. I trust them."

"Alright," said Ogremon. "But we'd better move fast to get out of here."

"Just a second," said Mimi. "Can one of you take Piximon?"

"Give him here," said Wizardmon.

Mimi gently handed the seemingly fragile little digimon over to Wizardmon and the three digimon headed for the exit. Wizardmon stopped before stepping out, though, and turned back to the group.

"Coming, Infermon?" asked Wizardmon.

"No…" said Infermon. "Stay with the programmer. Fight for him. Stay and fight with… friends."

"Alright then," said Wizardmon. "Just don't get yourself killed."

"Good luck, Wizardmon," said Angewomon.

"Right back at you," said Wizardmon, before stepping out the door and heading for the exit.

"Everybody ready now?" asked Protomon.

"Seems like it," said Ken as he rejoined the group.

"Actually, one second," said Yolei.

Yolei walked up to Ken, looked him right in the eye, and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. Ken was, needless to say, quite surprised.

"THAT was for being such a JERK!" said Yolei.

But then, she wrapped her arms around Ken's neck and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"And that's for coming to your senses…" said Yolei.

Ken was even more shocked than he was after the slap, but he certainly had no objections. Although he gave no outward sign of it, Protomon was more touched by all this than anyone else there. It was at that moment that he truly knew that all his efforts to put the spirit of goodness into the Digital World had paid off. Even in the darkest times, there was still happiness to be found here and there.

"Time to go," said Protomon. "Bahadramon will need our help."

As all this went on, Bahadramon had made it up onto the surface, where Geno and his two digimon awaited him. There was nothing but sand dunes as far as the eye could see. The storm clouds overhead blocked out the sun, so that only one or two rays would show through, and even then they would only be for a second. A fairly strong wind ran along the ground, kicking up the sand and chilling the skin.

"You've been a fool to follow us," said Geno. "But then, you never were all that bright. Despite my orders, it would still seem you digivolved to Mega."

"Leave Jack's body!" commanded Bahadramon. "You can have mine instead, but leave him out of this!"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that," said Geno. "I've got other plans…"

"Jack!" shouted Bahadramon. "Fight that thing! Don't let it control you any more!"

"I'm sorry, but Jack's not here right now," said Geno. "Can I take a message?"

Bahadramon let out a low, beastly growl and looked as though he was about to charge. Blackwargreymon and Blackmetalgarurumon immediately stepped in front of Geno.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Geno. "My little pets don't take kindly to digimon that try to attack me."

"If those abominations of yours intend to get in my way, then so be it," said Bahadramon. "I'll tear them apart if it means getting to YOU!"

Bahadramon darted forward, coming at Blackwargreymon with his left fist outstretched, but Blackwargreymon ducked under the attack and rammed his shoulder into Bahadramon's chest. Bahadramon was knocked back, but he managed to land with both feet in the sand. Before he could reorient himself though, Blackmetalgarurumon came at him full force, slamming his huge bulk into Bahadramon's body and throwing him back even farther. While Bahadramon was down, Blackmetalgarurumon snapped open his many, many weapon ports.

"Black Wolf Bite!" shouted Blackmetalgarurumon.

A huge barrage of missiles fired from all over Blackmetalgarurumon's body and they all locked on to Bahadramon. Acting quickly, Bahadramon leaped up high into the air, but the missiles all changed course to follow him. They drew closer and closer, so Bahadramon did the first thing that came to mind. He pulled his wings back as far as he could, and with one mighty thrust he forced them all the way forward, creating a gust of air strong enough to throw the missiles off course, and sending them crashing back down to the sandy ground below. Now, it was Bahadramon's turn to go on the offensive. He folded his wings and let himself drop like a stone, landing hard on Blackmetalgarurumon's back, burying the evil digimon in the sand. Bahadramon used Blackmetalgarurumon like a springboard to hurl himself at his next target: Blackwargreymon. Blackwargreymon drew a claw back to strike at Bahadramon, but he wasn't nearly fast enough, for Bahadramon slammed his feet into the evil digimon's chest before he could make his move. Blackwargreymon was thrown to the ground, stunned by the attack.

"Alright Geno!" shouted Bahadramon. "Now it's your turn!"

"Think again!" said Geno, quickly retrieving the Crest of Corruption from around his neck.

Bahadramon tried to move in, but he wasn't nearly fast enough. Geno aimed the crest at him and it released a huge bolt of red lightning that hurled Bahadramon all the way back to the gaping hole in the ground. The surging energy of the crest continued to swarm around Bahadramon's body, inducing severe pain.

"Reverse digivolve!" yelled Geno.

The electricity running all over Bahadramon surged up at once, causing a terrible scream from him. When the light around him died down, he had been reduced down to his In-Training form, Feramon.

"One down…" said Geno as his dark digimon shook off their injuries and rejoined him.

Suddenly, a great white light shot up from the huge hole in the ground, soaring up into the sky like a great pilling, and splitting the clouds around it. Geno quaked at the sight of the pillar and more importantly, what was inside it, for out from the gleaming light stepped the DigiDestined along with their digimon partners and of course, Protomon himself.

"I was wondering when you'd all show up," said Geno nervously. "I was starting to get a little bored."

"We've had enough, Geno!" said Davis. "Now we're gonna' make you pay!"

"Attack!" said Lillymon.

Lillymon, Infermon, Magna Angemon, Angewomon, and Birdramon all charged at Geno at once.

"No! Stay back!" yelled Geno.

Another surge shot from his crest, slamming into the advancing digimon. They were thrown right back at their partners, and the blast had drained them all back down to their Rookie levels.

"I warned you!" said Geno.

"Virus, this has gone on for too long," said Protomon. "Consider my face to be the last thing you will ever see."

Protomon laid his hand on the hilt of his powerful sword, drawing it very slowly. Even in the dim light, it seemed to shimmer with power.

"Blackwargreymon! Kill that fool!" yelled Geno.

With utter obedience, Blackwargreymon charged forward, but so did Protomon. Whatever happened when they met was far too quick to be seen with the naked eye. They landed opposite where they had started. Protomon had his eyes closed, and seemed to present a quiet dignity. Blackwargreymon just stood there motionless.

"And on the day of reckoning, he shall come with a blazing sword," Protomon quoted from an ancient digimon legend.

Blackwargreymon's body completely disintegrated, leaving only his helmet to fall to the ground. Blackmetalgarurumon came at Protomon with vicious intent, but Protomon sidestepped his charge and knocked the beast to the ground. Blackmetalgarurumon lay with his face in the sand as Protomon approached.

"The wicked will be punished for their misdeeds," said Protomon, placing his blade against Blackmetalgarurumon's neck. "And his power will once again restore peace and order to this world."

One, quick thrust severed Blackmetalgarurumon's head. His body disintegrated instantly, leaving only his helmet in the sand. Protomon turned to Geno very calmly.

"On the day of his return, the Corrupter will fall," said Protomon. "And tranquility will once again win against the forces of chaos."

Protomon took another step towards Geno.

"I have waited for a thousand years," said Protomon. "I have been forced to bear witness to the growing presence of evil in this world. Well today, I strike back against you."

"I take it you don't remember how that legend ends…" said Geno.

"Of course I remember," said Geno. "But there is nothing that can change what must be done. I will continue to fight against you until the very end."

"Well then, the end may be closer than you think!" said Geno.

Geno gripped his crest harder than ever, lifting it above his head. It's hellish light shone through the narrow openings of his hand, and the ground began to shake below him. Surging bolts of red electricity curled around his fist, and the helmets of both Blackwargreymon and Blackmetalgarurumon lifted from the sand and floated over to him.

"It has finally begun," said Geno. "The end of all life starts now."


	24. The Black Knight

With the Crest of Corruption raised high over his head, Geno began to laugh with an increasing tone of madness. The light that surged up around the crest was a mere shadow of the incredible energy that was pouring out of it. Fierce winds swept out from Geno, forcing the DigiDestined to shield their eyes from the flying sand.

"I have a REALLY bad feeling about this!" yelled Matt over the wind.

"No kidding!" shouted Tai.

"What do you suggest we do?!" asked Hawkmon.

"Stand strong, DigiDestined!" commanded Protomon. "This puny storm cannot compare to what we must all face shortly!"

A sudden burst of dark energy shot from the crest, blowing several layers of sand immediately around Geno outward. Lightning split the sky overhead, and Geno and the two helmets of the defeated dark digimon floating next to him were bathed in the burning light of the crest.

"Don't worry Kari!" yelled TK. "I got you!"

True to his word, TK quickly arrived where Kari was, and helped her shield herself from the biting winds and stinging sand.

"It's coming…" said Gatomon.

"What is?" asked Patamon.

"Something… evil," said Gatomon. "Something far worse than Myotismon could ever hope to be."

"Well I'm not encouraged by that," said Patamon.

Another wave of darkness burst from the crest, instantly tripling the strength and speed of the wind. Bolts of lightning began to strike the ground all around them. Still, Protomon stood strong. He glared right into Geno's eyes without even flinching.

"Protomon!" yelled Davis. "What are you waiting for?! Attack him now!"

"I will not!" said Protomon without moving his eyes away from Geno. "If I attack now, the risk to your friend is far too great!"

"But isn't Jack gone?!" called Cody.

"Far from it!" announced Protomon. "And I will not take unnecessary risks with his life! I sense he will be too important to all of our futures. I will not allow any harm to come to him!"

Yet another burst of power radiated from the crest. Now, bolts of lightning rained down constantly and the ground began to shake violently. The eyeholes on both Blackwargreymon's and Blackmetalgarurumon's helmets began to emit a pulsating red light.

"Well we've got to do something!" shouted Veemon.

"HA!" laughed Geno. "THERE'S NOTHING THAT ANY OF YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME NOW! IN MERE SECONDS, I SHALL BE THE SUPREME BEING IN THIS WORLD, AND I SHALL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!"

With a mighty heave, Geno hurled the Crest of Corruption straight up into the air. At over a hundred feet up, it looked like it was about to begin to fall back to the ground, but instead of falling it just hung there.

"NOW!!!" screamed Geno.

The helmets floating at his side shot away from him at full speed and began to circle each other at a distance of some fifty feet. As they orbited an invisible axis between Geno and the crest, they left red trails of energy in their wake. After several seconds, they came to a rest high in the air, with Blackwargreymon's helmet being on Geno's right and Blackmetalgarurumon's helmet being on his left. Both then shook far more wildly than before. Within a couple seconds, they somehow managed to double and redouble their size. The helmets grew in leaps and bounds, as did the strength of the energy they radiated. As the helmets grew, the crest began to emit streams of energy that stretched out like a network of veins and arteries, gradually taking on the shape of a massive, hulking body.

Geno let his arms fall at his sides. He stared at the DigiDestined with a wild look in his eyes and a wide grin on his face. His muscles twitched ever so slightly, and he began to laugh to himself; quietly at first, but then it grew much louder.

"What's happening?!" screamed Mimi, who had fallen to the sand and was covering her head.

"Hang on!" yelled Michael, going to Mimi's aid.

"Watch it guys!" said Betamon, dodging out of the way of a large rock that had been sent flying.

"Down!" shouted Lopmon, shoving Willis to the ground to avoid the same rock.

Suddenly, with one last, great laugh, Geno threw his head back and his eyes glowed white once again. Two streams of white light shot from his eyes up to the Crest of Corruption above. The second the streams hit, a burst of energy far greater than any of those that preceded it was released, launching all of the DigiDestined and their digimon through the air. Even Protomon was nearly sent flying, but he somehow managed to hold on.

As the blinding light slowly died down, an ominous stillness settled over the land. The wind, the earthquakes, the lightning, and all the other symptoms of what had just been happening were all gone. The clouds overhead hung perfectly motionless, dominating the landscape with darkness. In the distance, the final roll of thunder could be heard.

"What happened?" whispered Sora, lifting her head up.

"I have no idea," said Matt, who sat beside her.

"There's Protomon," Cody said as he pointed to the familiar, stoic figure.

"I think I want to go home now," said Mimi.

"Don't worry," said Palmon. "I think the worst of it is over now."

"Don't bet on it," said Protomon forebodingly. "Look…"

Protomon lifted his sword and pointed to where Geno had stood moments before. One by one, the DigiDestined and digimon looked to the spot and what they saw was a huge figure, whose form was rather hard to determine as an enormous red cape was wrapped fairly tightly around his body. He had to be at least a hundred and fifty feet tall.

"It has been completed," said Protomon. "Now, the Corrupter has taken on his final form."

"What IS that thing?!" asked Tai.

"I was hoping someone would ask…" said a booming voice that seemed to cover the whole desert. "I am destruction incarnate. I am the absolute corrupter. I bring terror to this world, and I take life from it. I am perfect, and I have come to fulfill my true purpose at last."

"Your true purpose?" asked Izzy.

"Yes," said the voice. "The purpose I was designed with; to bring genocide to this world, and to extinguish all life, or you see, I finally have the means to accomplish this task. In a final, perfect irony, I shall use a digimon to destroy the digimon!"

"He can't be serious!" said Armadillomon. "He's bluffing!"

"Do not take him lightly," said Protomon. "He is very serious about this. We are the last hope for defeating him now. If we can't hold him back, then his ambitions will be realized. I need not tell you the consequences of that."

"Then we don't have a second to waste!" said Davis. "Veemon!"

"I'm on it!" said Veemon.

With incredible heart, Veemon charged forward and Davis extended his D-3. In a burst of light, Veemon digivolved to Exveemon and took to the air. He drew closer and closer to the ghostly figure, preparing to strike with everything he had. Exveemon pulled back his arm and threw the most powerful punch he could possibly muster, but the instant he touched the figure, a wave of red energy washed over him and he screamed in terrible pain. Exveemon was then launched back through the air and landed mere feet from Davis, back in the form of Veemon. His body was smoking and covered in scorches.

"Veemon!" shouted Davis, rushing to his friend's side.

"I'm *cough*… I'm okay, Davis," said Veemon. "Really, I'm fine…"

Veemon closed his eyes weakly.

"What just happened up there?" asked TK.

"It's the power of the crest," said Protomon. "The virus has linked it wholly to itself, corrupting it and its powers. Since the virus has no need to use it for digivolving, he can use its incredible energy amplifying properties to give off waves of sheer destructive power."

"And it's somehow using that to create a protective barrier?" asked Izzy.

"Exactly," said Protomon. "You and your digimon won't even be able to approach it."

"But what about ranged attacks?" asked Joe. "Couldn't those be effective?"

"I doubt it," said Protomon. "Knowing him, he either can completely disperse any incoming attack, or he may be able to return the attack back with increased lethality."

"I'm liking this less and less by the second," said Agumon.

"How can we hope to fight him?" asked Gabumon.

"YOU can't," said Protomon. "At least… not yet."

"What do you mean?" asked Wormmon.

"I have a plan," said Protomon. "But only I can carry it out. For now, just let me fight. I will tell you when it is time for you to do your part."

"We can't just wait here," said Ken. "You might get slaughtered out there without our help."

"You have no choice," said Protomon. "Besides, you have to stay here and look after your own."

Protomon casually glanced at a nearby sand dune.

"Watch over him," said Protomon. "You will need him some day."

With that, Protomon brandished his sword and headed towards his destiny in a burst of speed. Once Protomon had gone, Ken walked over to examine the sand dune that Protomon had looked at. What he found there was the nearly buried and seemingly lifeless body of Jack.

"Hey guys! Get over here!" yelled Ken.

The others all quickly gathered around Jack. Joe moved in to examine him for signs of life while Kari grabbed his hand and held it and Mimi gingerly laid her hand upon his shoulder.

"He looks pretty bad," said Joe as he checked Jack's pulse.

"Is he… dead?" Cody nearly choked on that last word.

Joe left Jack's pulse and forced opened one of his eyes. "No, he's alive. His pulse is weak, but regular. I'd appreciate it if you guys could help me get him out from under all this sand though. Just don't move him."

"Right," said Ken and Cody as they started to unbury him.

"How do you suppose he got all the way over here?" asked Betamon.

"He was probably thrown by that last explosion of energy," Izzy responded.

"I'm so sorry Jack," whispered Mimi. "I can't believe this happened to you."

"Please be alright…" Kari begged as she helped to brush Jack's hair away from his eyes. "Please, please, please…"

"Everyone back away," Joe instructed suddenly. "I think he's coming to."

As soon as Joe issued his order, Jack began to cough violently and everyone swiftly backed off. Jack's coughing continued for several more seconds before finally subsiding into steady, heavy breathing.

Meanwhile, Protomon stood before the domineering figure clad in crimson that loomed over the battlefield. Though his eyes could not be seen, the virus was undoubtedly staring down at Protomon, just as Protomon stared up at him.

"We've both known this day would eventually come," said the virus. "It's taken longer than I thought it would, but it was perhaps inevitable."

"You will pay for your crimes," said Protomon. "Believe me in that."

"Don't be overconfident, Protomon," said the virus. "You may be the strongest of all digimon, but you are still a digimon. As such, even you are bound by limits; limits which do not apply to me."

"All things have their limits, virus," said Protomon. "Even you."

"Then it's time to test which of us is truly superior," said the virus. "Will it be you, a mere digimon, who claims victory, or will it be I, a pure program, unobstructed by form and rules. Personally, I can't wait to find out."

"Then let's begin," said Protomon.

Protomon began to spin his sword in his right hand and took cautious steps toward the looming figure.

"So be it, digimon…" grumbled the virus.

The giant figure threw open its cape just as Protomon charged. There was a great spark of light as Protomon's blade struck the virus' armored body. Protomon landed again, about fifty yards from his adversary. They glared at each other, and Protomon once began to spin his blade.

"Is… is that…?" stammered TK.

"There's just no way," said Mimi.

"I can't believe this," gasped Tai.

"Is it?" asked Matt.

"It is," said Gabumon.

"Unbelievable…" said Agumon.

"NightmareOmnimon…" grumbled Protomon. "A virus type, born of pure anger and hatred. His body represents the ultimate in corruption. He is a creature of pure malice, living only to taint the minds and bodies of other digimon with his foul influence before disposing of them entirely."

The massive being bore a startling resemblance to Omnimon, but there were certainly some significant differences. His armor was pitch black with a dark sheen to it rather than white. Emblazoned in silver across his chest was the unmistakable Crest of Corruption. His cape was a deep crimson, and his shoulder pads took on the form of a pair of great, curved spikes that were silver in color. His arms, unlike those of Omnimon, featured Blackwargreymon's helmet on the right and Blackmetalgarurumon's on the left. Perhaps the most startling features of this new being though, were perhaps his cold, lifeless eyes. They were solid white, and even though one could never be certain of exactly where he was looking, the seemed to pierce the soul of anyone brave enough to look into them.

"And now, Protomon," said NightmareOmnimon. "The day of your reckoning is at hand. Come to me, if you dare…"

"Mark my words, NightmareOmnimon," said Protomon. "On this day, you will reap what you have spent your whole life sowing. All debts will be repaid. Now let's begin."

"As you wish…" said NighmareOmnimon, lifting up his right arm and unleashing his Infernal Sword, a huge black blade covered in silvery runes. "Let the reaping commence…"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[I should note that at this point I have no plans for a picture of NightmareOmnimon, since he's hard to draw and I think you can figure out his appearance on your own. However, if there's a big demand for a picture, I'll certainly be happy to oblige. Now stay tuned, because I plan on bringing out the next chapter soon…]


	25. A Warrior's Sacrifice

[Told ya' I wouldn't be gone long. Anyway, it's good to see that people still have an interest. Now then, get ready, because this chapter will change the course of this battle as well as the entire future of the Digital World, and it will bring us one step closer to the end, which is not that far off.]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Protomon bolted forward, crossing the distance between himself and NightmareOmnimon in about two seconds, but NightmareOmnimon seemed ready for this strategy, and he swung his Infernal Sword through Protomon's path. However, the very instant the blade should have cut through him, Protomon simply vanished. NightmareOmnimon's eyes darted back and forth for several seconds in search of Protomon. Finally, his eyes came to rest on his sword, which was still held outstretched at his side. Standing on the weapon was Protomon, his face emotionless. NightmareOmnimon tried to throw Protomon off, but the very instant he flipped his wrist, Protomon jumped up and just hung there despite NightmareOmnimon's efforts to get rid of him. His expression remained constant, unchanged in spite of the look of agitation that appeared in NightmareOmnimon's eyes.

"Crafty," said NightmareOmnimon. "But speed alone can not save you from me."

With a sudden burst of speed, NightmareOmnimon threw a powerful punch from his left hand at Protomon, which the powerful yet relatively small digimon was able to grab and stop dead in its tracks. Notwithstanding NightmareOmnimon's size and strength, Protomon had stopped his attack without being pushed back more than a few feet.

Meanwhile, the DigiDestined and their digimon had their eyes firmly fixed on the scene, paying almost no attention to the rest of the world. Perhaps the one exception was Jack, who had regained consciousness, if not total cognizance. He rubbed his aching temples, but made no sound. He was about to say something, but the others were all totally engrossed in the raging battle. As he looked around, Jack was suddenly horror-stricken when his eyes fell upon the small, familiar shape of Feramon, collapsed next to the gaping hole in the ground.

"Feramon…!" whispered Jack in alarm.

As quietly as he could, Jack tried to lift himself up to a standing position, but it was soon clear that there was no way he could manage it. Still, he was determined to reach his fallen friend, and with sheer grit he began to pull himself inch by inch along the ground. Jack was incredibly frustrated in those moments. He was angry that he couldn't reach Feramon faster, he was angry that he was in no shape to help anyone, and most of all he was angry with himself for what he had done while under the virus' influence. Still, he pushed onward. Some might say that it was his sense of honor that wouldn't let him give up, but whatever it was, it worked. Jack had reached Feramon.

"Feramon…" coughed Jack as he clutched the tiny digimon in his arms and gave him a gentle shake. "Speak to me buddy."

Feramon's eyes remained shut, but he began to stir.

"K-k…" Feramon began to say. "…Kizokumon…?"

"What?" asked Jack with a surprised look. "Come on buddy, wake up!"

Slowly, Feramon's eyes opened half way. They seemed dull and tired.

Feramon tried to smile a little. "Jack? Is that really you?"

"Yeah buddy…" said Jack. "It's me."

"Good, good," said Feramon with a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "I'm glad… that you're back to normal. I… missed you…"

Feramon's eyes began to slide shut again.

"Oh no you don't," said Jack urgently. "I won't let you quit on me now, you hear? You… you can't give up. Stay with me!"

Feramon just lay in Jack's arms without moving an inch.

"No…" shuddered Jack as wet pools began to form around the bottoms of his eyes. "No, you can't! You can't leave me! I, I don't want to lose you buddy. We… we've been *hic* through too much together! I won't *hic* let these last eight years end like this! Feramon! Feramon!"

Jack began to shake Feramon, but he still met with no results.

Meanwhile, NightmareOmnimon was still trying to get in a decent hit against Protomon, but he met with little success.

"I think it's time to end this," said Protomon, who hovered several dozen yards in front of the increasingly weary NightmareOmnimon.

"Do your worst," said NightmareOmnimon. "You can't touch me."

Brandishing his Gallant Sword, Protomon sped forward at NightmareOmnimon with a very serious expression on his face. NightmareOmnimon brought his Infernal Sword up to block, but his efforts instantly proved fruitless when Protomon accelerated to the point of being no more than a blur. When Protomon reappeared behind NightmareOmnimon, he had clearly done something. NightmareOmnimon's eyes shook with rage. A couple seconds later, it was revealed exactly what Protomon had been up to when NightmareOmnimon's suddenly blade fell to pieces. The show wasn't quite finished though, as another second later, a perfect, clean cut through NightmareOmnimon's right upper-arm could be seen. The entire severed part of the limb fell to the ground and burst into countless black spheroids. After dodging the deadly hail of projectiles, Protomon once again prepared to strike another flawless blow, but he was caught off guard when NightmareOmnimon rapidly spun around and slammed his remaining hand into Protomon from the side, knocking the great digimon face first into the sandy ground. Protomon casually stood up and allowed the sand to run off him, returning his cold gaze to NightmareOmnimon. However, as Protomon watched, shreds of flesh and metal began to form in the place where NightmareOmnimon's right arm had been. With amazing speed, the tiny patches grew into an entirely knew arm, identical to the last one down to the most minute detail. NightmareOmnimon took a brief look at his new arm before turning his sights on Protomon and once again releasing his Infernal Sword.

"Oh, I'm sorry," NightmareOmnimon quipped. "Did you think we were done here? Well I can assure you that things have only just begun…"

As Protomon and NightmareOmnimon continued their vicious duel, Jack held Feramon to his chest, silently shedding his tears. His body shook and his eyes were closed tight. He wanted to scream out everything at once, but he couldn't make anything happen. And then, he felt a kind hand come to rest on his shoulder. He opened one eye and took a peek over his shoulder, where he saw Kari, closely followed by Gatomon, Ken, and Wormmon.

"Go away…" said Jack in between sobs. "I *hic* I just want to be alone now."

"Listen to me Jack…" Kari said softly. "You can't beat yourself up about this. What's happened isn't your fault."

"She's right," said Gatomon. "If you want to blame someone, then blame the virus. He's the one that did all of this!"

"Just leave, *sniff* please," Jack choked. "I don't *hic* I don't want you to *hic* see me like this…"

"Jack, we're not leaving," said Ken. "We care about you. Even though we've only known each other for a short time, I consider myself to be your friend, and as your friend I can't let you do this to yourself."

Jack was silent for a moment, but he continued to quake with emotion.

"Jack, I know what you're going through," said Ken. "Believe me, I know it all too well. But now is the time to push forward. You can't give up; we won't let you."

"But…" started Jack. "But why does it have to be like this?! Why does everything I ever do go wrong?! Huh?! Why can't even one damn thing in my whole life go right for once?!"

"Jack, sometimes life deals you a bad hand," said Kari. "But you've got to roll with the punches if you want to make things work. I know that you can get through this, Jack."

"No… I can't…" said Jack. "I can't do this alone!"

"But you're not alone!" said Kari. "Don't forget that you have all of us! Ken and I, the other DigiDestined, all the digimon…"

"And me…" coughed a very weak, small voice.

Jack looked down at Feramon, and his expression softened once he saw the tiny digimon's eyes open once again.

"Feramon! You're alive!" said Jack.

"I *cough* really had you going there," said Feramon with a weak smile. "Hey, anyone *cough* got a bite to eat?"

"I'll tell you what," said Jack. "When we make it back home, I'll give you a steak twice the size of your head. Sound good?"

"Can't wait…" said Feramon.

Even though they didn't say another word to each other, Jack could see the truth in Feramon's eyes. They had always been somewhat in tune with each other, and even when neither of them said what they thought, they'd both be able to tell what was going on. The small digimon was dying. 

"Jack, there's a way to save him," said Ken after a few seconds.

"What?!" asked Jack. "Tell me!"

"Our partners share our energy," said Ken. "That's how they can digivolve. If you help Feramon to digivolve, you'll give up some of your energy to him, and he just might recover…"

"Got it," said Jack, grabbing his digivice.

"Now hold it," said Ken. "I can't guarantee your safety if you do this. This might take a lot out of you. We could lose you both."

"It doesn't matter," said Jack. "I've got to do this."

Jack's digivice activated and began to glow.

Back at the battle, NightmareOmnimon showed increasing speed as he hacked and slashed at Protomon. Protomon was finding each attack more difficult to dodge than the one before it, but he was managing to do it all the same.

"You won't last forever," said NightmareOmnimon, swinging his blade in a long, horizontal slash. "Unlike me."

"It's time to end this before it gets out of hand," said Protomon.

Protomon quickly secured his Gallant Sword in his sash and charged at NightmareOmnimon at full speed. NightmareOmnimon tried to take him down with a punch from his right hand, but Protomon vanished from sight. An instant later, Protomon reappeared directly behind NightmareOmnimon with his right hand pointing at the center of NightmareOmnimon's back.

"Blazing Helix!" yelled Protomon.

A fiery glow momentarily surrounded Protomon's outstretched hand before a pair of swirling streams of flame shot from the appendage and bored a hole straight through the center of NightmareOmnimon's torso. NightmareOmnimon looked down at the wound for a few seconds before turning around to look at Protomon.

"You're not the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve," said Protomon.

The infuriated NightmareOmnimon swung his InfernalSword at Protomon, but the attack was dodged and Protomon reappeared on NightmareOmnimon's other side.

"And now for an old favorite of Azulongmon…" said Protomon. "Blue Lightning!"

A huge bolt of blue lightning shot from Protomon's hand and hurled NightmareOmnimon to the ground, shoving him over fifty yards through the sand before dissipating. NightmareOmnimon was singed by the last attack, but far from out. As he sat up, his wounds began to regenerate swiftly, and Protomon knew he was in trouble if he could not finish this quick.

"Iron Claw!" shouted Protomon as he charged once again.

NightmareOmnimon had just enough time to cross his arms in front of his face as a shield before Protomon's attack struck. The force of the impact gave off a sound louder than any thunderstorm and sent a massive wave of sheer force aimed at NightmareOmnimon, throwing acres of sand into the air. Protomon laid into NightmareOmnimon with one fist, continuing to press against his arms and pushing him back over half a mile, NightmareOmnimon's legs plowing backwards through the dry soil while he continued to stand, before Protomon finally let up. Protomon stared into NightmareOmnimon's eyes for several seconds after they came to rest. With a short laugh, NightmareOmnimon forcibly opened his arms again, throwing Protomon back in the process. Protomon did a back flip to reposition himself to land on the sand as gracefully as possible. He looked up at the hulking form of NightmareOmnimon, and then back at the small cluster of DigiDestined. He knew his course was now set in the only direction that even had a chance to gain victory against NightmareOmnimon.

"It's over, Protomon," said NightmareOmnimon. "I win again…"

Slowly, NightmareOmnimon's feet lifted from the sand, and his whole body took to the air, hovering about fifty feet up. Protomon made one more charge, but as he began to close in, NightmareOmnimon's left hand snapped open to reveal a fearsome cannon. NightmareOmnimon swiftly brought the weapon about to target Protomon and discharged his Cataclysm Gun, firing a pulse of purple energy directly at Protomon. Protomon was so taken off guard by this that he couldn't dodge in time. The attack hit him, but it did not explode. Instead, it pushed him back towards the ground. Even when Protomon was slammed to the ground, the ball did not explode. Instead, he was plowed through the ground and back into to subterranean base, where the attack finally destabilized and exploded. The force of the explosion was so impressive that it instantly vaporized everything within a hundred yards and caused the rest of the base to simply cave in, leaving a sizeable crater in the landscape.

"Protomon!" shouted TK, looking at the gaping chasm as tons of debris hovered over the scene.

"No!" yelled Tai.

"Finally!" NightmareOmnimon said with great enthusiasm. "I've finally done it! They said it couldn't be done, but here I stand!" 

NightmareOmnimon began to cackle as only he could. His vile laughter echoed for miles around. The DigiDestined were hit with the sudden shock that they might very well have lost their only chance for victory.

"This… this can't be happening!" said Yolei.

"You're right, it isn't!" said a very powerful voice that came from every direction at once.

"WHAT?!" demanded NightmareOmnimon.

Before anyone could even blink an eye, Protomon materialized immediately in front of NightmareOmnimon. His body was covered in burns and his clothing was scorched, but he was still alive.

"No! You're dead!" yelled NightmareOmnimon.

"Not yet," said Protomon with a cold decisiveness.

Without warning, Protomon shoved his right, clawed hand into the very center of NightmareOmnimon's torso. He then dug his left hand and both feet into NightmareOmnimon's plated body to hold on. NightmareOmnimon screamed in agony at this sudden attack as a burst of evil, red energy shot from NightmareOmnimon's chest where the wound was and spilled over Protomon, tearing away more and more flesh by the second. Then, it looked like Protomon had a hold of something, and he began to pull, forcing even more of the glowing red energy out onto himself. Despite the clearly agonizing injuries Protomon was receiving, he was fully dedicated to the task at hand.

"NO!" screamed NightmareOmnimon in an increasingly distorted voice. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I WON'T ALLOW IT! NOOOO!!!"

Protomon gave one, great yell and pulled with all his might, removing a good chunk of NightmareOmnimon's chest, and more importantly, the Crest of Corruption. The crest swirled with demonic energies that sliced at Protomon's hand even as he dragged it from NightmareOmnimon's body. The red energy that had filled NightmareOmnimon seemed drawn to the crest, and it swirled about it. Protomon stared at the crest for a moment with utter contempt, and then in one motion, he crushed it completely, sending out a wave of dark energy that burned him even more. Once the sound of the crest's being destroyed rang out, the red energy within NightmareOmnimon seemed to thin out and then it disappeared altogether, like a puff of smoke. All was still for a moment as the sound of the crest's destruction continued to echo. After a few seconds, Protomon reopened his fist and looked at the dark, shattered remnants of the evil crest.

"It has been purified…" said Protomon.

Then, a point of light appeared above the remains. It was a good, clean light, and it drew other lights from inside the pieces of the Crest of Corruption. Once all the silvery lights had joined together, they formed into the Crest of Honor, fully restoring it to its proper form. Then, with an exhausted sigh, Protomon let his arm fall, and the remains of the dark crest dropped from his hand towards the sand far below. The Crest of Honor floated there for a second before vanishing and reappearing in the hand of Jack, who along with the fully restored Stormdramon, had rejoined the group of DigiDestined.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!" screamed NightmareOmnimon. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED?!"

"Of course I do," said Protomon in a very rough voice. "I've made your 'perfect' new body into your tomb."

"Protomon!" called Gabumon. "What's happening?!"

"DigiDestined!" shouted Protomon. "I have done my part, now it is up to you! The virus had bound itself to the crest for power, but now that the crest is destroyed, the virus will not be able to escape the body of NightmareOmnimon! Without the crest, he can no longer create a barrier around himself to deflect your attacks! Now is your chance!"

"But Protomon! What about you?!" called Matt.

"My time is at an end," said Protomon. "I must now pay the ultimate price in order to defend this world that I've fought so long to preserve. And now, even though it means my end once and for all, I will give my power to you. Use it wisely…"

Protomon's eyes closed one last time. His body began to glow pure white, and it quickly lost all substance. The glowing energy lost its form and became nothing more than a blur, but that blur quickly divided into seventeen distinct spheres, each of which shot in turn towards each of the DigiDestined digimon. One by one, each digimon was circled several times by the spheres before absorbing the incredible energy. In that moment, each digimon radiated a golden aura, and it was very clear that the course of this battle was about to change.


	26. Total War

"Agumon!" yelled Tai. "What's going on?!"

"I feel… kinda' strange," said Agumon, who, like the rest of the digimon, was surrounded by a field of golden light.

"This… this is INCREDIBLE!" said Gabumon. "I can't even describe it!"

"The energy… it's overwhelming!" said Veemon.

"What happened?!" asked Davis.

"It was Protomon," said Patamon "He…"

"He gave us his energy," said Gatomon.

"And now it's time to use it," said Betamon.

"Agumon!" shouted Tai.

"The time is now," said Agumon. "The virus will pay…"

Agumon warp digivolved to Wargreymon.

"Gabumon, what happens now?!" asked Matt.

"Now, we decide the fate of this world," said Gabumon.

Gabumon warp digivolved to Metalgarurumon.

"Biyomon, don't get hurt out there," said Sora.

"I'll make sure that the only one who gets hurt is NightmareOmnimon," said Biyomon.

Biyomon warp digivolved to Phoenixmon.

"This is our big moment, Gomamon," said Joe. "Everything comes down to this."

"I'm gonna' show this guy what I can really do!" said Gomamon.

Gomamon warp digivolved to Preciomon.

"Prodigious!" exclaimed Izzy. "So this is Protomon's full power…"

"Wrong," said Tentomon. "This is just the tip of the iceberg."

Tentomon warp digivolved to HerculesKabuterimon.

"Palmon, you have to win!" said Mimi. "Everyone we care about needs us now more than ever!"

"Don't sweat it!" said Palmon. "As long as I have your support, NightmareOmnimon won't even be able to lay a hand on me!"

Palmon warp digivolved to Rosemon.

"Stormdramon, ready for a little payback?" asked Jack.

"Oh yeah," Stormdramon said with a little smile.

Stormdramon warp digivolved to Bahadramon.

"Well Veemon, I sure hope we can pull off one last miracle," said Davis.

"I think I just might have one left!" said Veemon.

Veemon warp digivolved to Imperialdramon.

"I don't like to fight…" said Cody. "But this time, it'll be worth it."

"Everything's gonna' be okay again soon," said Armadillomon.

Aramdillomon warp digivolved to Vikemon.

"Hawkmon…" said Yolei. "Please be alright…"

"Worry not, Yolei," said Hawkmon. "I shan't be defeated."

Hawkmon warp digivolved to Valkyrimon.

"Wormmon, you promised you'd never leave," said Ken.

"Don't worry, Ken," said Wormmon. "I'll be back soon."

Wormmon warp digivolved to GrandKuwagamon.

"Are you guys sure you're ready for this?" asked Willis.

"It doesn't look like we have much choice," said Terriermon.

"Just stay here and don't get hurt," said Lopmon.

"Take care… programmer," said Keramon.

Terriermon warp digivolved to MegaGargomon. Lopmon warp digivolved to Kerpymon. Keramon warp digivolved to Diaboromon.

"I say we teach this guy that we mean business, right Betamon?" said Michael.

"He's in for a rough lesson!" said Betamon.

Betamon warp digivolved to Metalseadramon.

"I'm worried," said TK. "Even if we win, we could still end up losing you guys."

"Let's just cross that bridge when we come to it," said Patamon.

Patamon warp digivolved to Seraphimon.

"Let's put a stop to this bad dream once and for all," said Kari.

"Not a problem" Gatomon said confidently. "Just leave it to me."

Gatomon warp digivolved to Magnadramon.

"Foolish creatures," said NightmareOmnimon as the gaping wounds left in his chest by Protomon began to reseal themselves. "You just don't get it, do you? I can't die! My entire purpose is to destroy you digimon, and that's exactly what I plan on doing!"

"I don't think so!" said Wargreymon as he and Metalgarurumon rushed forward.

Caught off guard, NightmareOmnimon wasn't able to mount a defense before Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon slammed themselves into his chest, knocking the great digimon back a few steps. With NightmareOmnimon stunned, the two Megas quickly charged their Terra Force and Metal Wolf Claw attacks. NightmareOmnimon began to regain his composure, but not quite fast enough to avoid the simultaneous surge of fire and ice that tore at him in one glorious blast. The combination of the conflicting elemental forces resulted in a dramatic explosion, with NightmareOmnimon at the focal point. Within a couple seconds, the explosion had died down and was completely swallowed up in debris. Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon hovered nervously, roughly fifty yards from the edge of the debris field.

"Did they get him?" asked Tai.

"No way," said Matt. "He's in there plotting or something."

"NightmareOmnimon!" shouted Wargreymon. "Come out and face us!"

"Don't worry," said Metalgarurumon as his missile ports snapped open. "I'll get his attention. Ice Wolf Claw!"

Metalgarurumon launched a quick barrage of missiles into the heart of the cloud where there soon appeared a series of dull, blue flashes. But as Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon focussed on the flashes, NightmareOmnimon rolled out the side of the debris field and fired his Cataclysm Gun at Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon even as he was still in mid-roll. Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon swiveled out of the path of the deadly projectile with only inches to spare. The attack passed between them and soared into the stratosphere, but while Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon were still watching the attack pass them by, NightmareOmnimon dug his feet into the sand and hurled himself forward, his right arm pulled across his chest so that the elbow stuck out in front. Just as Metalgarurumon and Wargreymon turned to look back at NightmareOmnimon, he was right on top of them, and he swung his right arm out, backhanding them into the sand with stunning savagery.

NightmareOmnimon hovered for a moment, seemingly proud of his impressive strike. A second later though, he came under attack again when an extremely powerful stream of water slammed into him from behind. He responded by rapidly by spinning around and shielding himself with his arms. After a few seconds, the jet of water stopped, and he got the chance to look at who had dared to attack him. It turned out to be Preciomon, who was now joined by Metalseadramon.

"Water Tail Blaster!" shouted Preciomon, aiming the tip of his tail at NightmareOmnimon once again.

"River of Power!" yelled Metalseadramon as his snout began to glow.

The two discharged their attacks together, with Metalseadramon's attack firing in a powerful white beam and Preciomon's attack spiraling around the River of Power so that both attacks hit together, drilling into NightmareOmnimon's chest.

"Heads up!" shouted a strong, yet feminine voice from in front of NightmareOmnimon.

NightmareOmnimon looked up to see who had called to him and his eyes met with Phoenixmon, who was surrounded by a red glow and had her four wings were spread wide.

"Crimson Flame!" yelled Phoenixmon.

The glowing red light around Phoenixmon suddenly concentrated into three spheres directly in front of her. The spheres then exploded with energy and each sent a stream of fiery destruction at NightmareOmnimon, with all the streams spiraling around one another. In conjunction with the sustained efforts of Preciomon and Metalseadramon, this third attack knocked NightmareOmnimon back to the ground and tore away some of the outer layers of metal that had been under direct assault. NightmareOmnimon began to shakily rise to his feet again, still seemingly undaunted by the efforts of these Mega digimon. Once he was back on his feet though, he was met with a sudden and unexpected blow to the face, courtesy of Kerpymon's fist. Kerpymon, who was every bit as tall as NightmareOmnimon, began to viciously pummel his opponent with lightning-fast punches to the head and chest. After nearly twenty seconds of this punishment though, and after punching NightmareOmnimon literally into the ground, Kerpymon began to grow tired. As soon as Kerpymon's attacks began to slacken, NightmareOmnimon reopened his eyes. If he had a mouth, he most definitely would have an evil grin on at that moment. NightmareOmnimon dealt decisively with Kerpymon by means of a swift kick to the belly, knocking the wind out of the huge digimon and sending him into whole new worlds of pain. As Kerpymon slumped over NightmareOmnimon, gasping for air, NightmareOmnimon calmly shoved him away stood up again.

"Kerpymon!" shouted MegaGargomon.

"Care to step up to the plate?" asked NightmareOmnimon challengingly.

"Batter up…" said MegaGargomon angrily. "Mega Barrage!"

With a terrible scream, MegaGargomon began firing with everything he had. Missiles, guns, everything was launched at NightmareOmnimon. The guns left puffs of smoke raking across his torso and some of the surrounding terrain for the stray shots. The missiles rained down all over him, tearing the ground at his feet wide open and shattering bits and pieces of his armor. By the time MegaGargomon could sustain his assault no longer, he was out of breath shaking slightly. As he relaxed his body once again, the smoke cleared away from around NightmareOmnimon. The great evil digimon's armor was showing signs of cracking, and his cape had been almost completely shredded, but no serious injuries had been inflicted.

"Not quite," said NightmareOmnimon.

With an angry growl, MegaGargomon lifted his arms up to fire again, but when he had only managed to squeeze off a few shots, NightmareOmnimon charged at him incredibly fast. NightmareOmnimon was on top of his opponent in an instant. He rammed his forehead into MegaGargomon's snout to stun him and grabbed both of his wrists under his arms. NightmareOmnimon then whipped MegaGargomon completely around and aimed his still-firing guns at Metalseadramon, Preciomon, and Phoenixmon. Caught unprepared by the attack, the three Megas were hit hard. After a few seconds of the barrage, the three digimon were down and NightmareOmnimon released MegaGargomon's arms, only to elbow him in the side of the head so as to eliminate him as a threat.

As NightmareOmnimon began to turn around though, the red blur that was Rosemon headed straight for him with her Rose Whip ready. Even he couldn't match the incredible speed of this opponent, who was buzzing around him and leaving long gashes in his armor. Meanwhile, Wargreymon and Valkyrimon stood next to each other, some distance behind NightmareOmnimon. Without a word, they both charged at full speed. Wargreymon reached the enemy first, slamming his claws into the evil digimon's back and punching a hole through his plated armor. Valkyrimon arrived next, burying his Fenrir Sword deep in NightmareOmnimon's back and holding on by the hilt. With a powerful yell, Valkyrimon flew upwards as fast as he could, dragging the blade up through NightmareOmnimon's back. Back in front of NightmareOmnimon, Vikemon, Metalgarurumon, and Diaboromon were all lined up.

"Go now!" commanded Metalgarurumon. "I will cover your attack!"

Following orders, Diaboromon charged forward, leaping from dune to dune in great bounds before he finally got close enough to NightmareOmnimon to take one final leap at his head. NightmareOmnimon looked like he was about to knock the dark digimon out of the sky, but a huge wave of missiles from Metalgarurumon put a stop to that, crashing into NightmareOmnimon and leaving a huge debris cloud to interfere with his vision. A second later, Diaboromon popped right through the cloud and landed on NightmareOmnimon's face.

"VENGEANCE!" shouted Diaboromon as he dug all four claws very firmly into NightmareOmnimon's skull.

The cavity in Diaboromon's chest quickly opened and he began to fire his Web Wrecker directly into NightmareOmnimon's eyes again and again. Now, with NightmareOmnimon completely powerless to resist, Vikemon stepped up. He grabbed both of the maces on his back and tensed his muscles.

"Viking Axe!" shouted Vikemon.

Vikemon brought both maces out and slammed them against the ground with so much force that it sent out an earthquake that split the ground apart, and it was heading for NightmareOmnimon. Once the attack reached the massive digimon, he lost his balance and began to falter from the unsteady ground beneath his feet. With NightmareOmnimon off balance, Vikemon charged as fast as he could. He once again readied both of his great weapons and used his Viking Axe again, this time slamming his weapons into NightmareOmnimon's side, leaving a huge dent and shattering a large section of the armor.

"NOW!" yelled a voice belonging to none other than HerculesKabuterimon.

With amazing speed, all of the digimon that had surrounded NightmareOmnimon abandoned their enemy, diving out of the way of the impending attack. HerculesKabuterimon meanwhile spread his wings and braced his legs against the ground. A golden aura surrounded him.

"Mega Electro Shocker!" yelled HerculesKabuterimon.

The light around HerculesKabuterimon all suddenly began to collect in front of him and shot forward in a great pulse of incredible electrical energy. The attack hit NightmareOmnimon dead-on, ramming him backward over a hundred yards and tearing at his already wounded body.

"Finish it!" ordered HerculesKabuterimon.

GrandKuwagamon and Imperialdramon seemed to come out of nowhere as they rapidly descended around NightmareOmnimon. GrandKuwagamon landed behind the evil force while Imperialdramon landed in front.

"Dimension Scissors!" shouted GrandKuwagamon as he made a broad slice through the air with his powerful tusks.

The slice opened up a hole in reality, a gateway into a kind of purple, swirling vortex.

"Positron Laser!" shouted Imperialdramon, firing his powerful weapon directly into NightmareOmnimon.

With all the power he could muster, Imperialdramon forced NightmareOmnimon back, closer and closer to the ever-widening gateway created by GrandKuwagamon. Imperialdramon was straining to put more power into his attack, and it was slowly working as NightmareOmnimon was drawn closer and closer to the gateway. Realizing the gravity of his situation, NightmareOmnimon began his counterattack. His eyes shot wide open and he unleashed a phenomenal burst of energy from his body, throwing Imperialdramon and GrandKuwagamon away from him and causing GrandKuwagamon's gate to dissipate harmlessly. NightmareOmnimon then quickly turned his Cataclysm gun against those that had attacked him earlier and fired. Vikemon and HerculesKabuterimon tried to shield the others from the attack, but it was only half-successful, as the attack did not kill any of the digimon, but it did leave them all badly wounded. Standing up again, NightmareOmnimon surveyed the battlefield. Then, a wave of energy distortion spread out from his eyes. As the wave passed around him, his body completely regenerated. However, it seemed apparent that more than his body had been damaged. He was surrounded by waves of distortion, much like what the DigiDestined had witnessed when they fought against Kerpymon when he was under the virus' control. It was very obvious to Bahadramon, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon that he was losing control without the focussing abilities of the corrupted crest.

"We can beat him if we strike quickly," said Magnadramon.

"I can distract him for you two," said Bahadramon. "After all, I believe your attacks will be by far the most effective against him."

"Agreed," said Seraphimon. "Be careful though. We've got him backed into a corner now, and like a trapped animal, his only escape is right through us…"


	27. An Indestructible Enemy

[Well, here's the next chapter. Things are drawing towards the end, and only a few chapters remain. However, it might be a little harder getting chapters out in a timely fashion with school about to start again. Still, I'll try to get this done as soon as possible. Oh by the way, you all might want to check out my pictures, as Protomon recently got a little upgrade. No then, back to the fight…]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"The faster we got this over with, the better," said Bahadramon. "I'm going in. I'll make him pay for everything he's done…"

"Be careful, Bahadramon," Seraphimon warned. "If you try to use your hatred as a weapon against the Corrupter, he can turn it against you in the blink of an eye."

"Let me worry about that," said Bahadramon coldly. "You just have to worry about getting in there to back me up."

Bahadramon spread his wings and before Seraphimon could say another word he took to the air. He streaked forward with a hard, determined expression in his eyes. NightmareOmnimon saw him approaching and stood casually with the utmost confidence, waiting for his next victim to arrive. Bahadramon beat his wings with increasing fury, building up his speed with each flap. NightmareOmnimon bobbed his head slightly as he moved his right arm across his chest so that he could swat Bahadramon out of the sky like a gnat. Bahadramon drew closer… and closer… and closer, and then, NightmareOmnimon swung his arm through Bahadramon's flight path, hitting nothing but air. At the very last possible instant, Bahadramon had pulled back, using his wings to create a sudden bubble of air resistance in front of him, which slowed him down just enough to keep him out of harm's way. With NightmareOmnimon's attack having missed, Bahadramon continued towards his chest plate, folding his wings in front of him as he went so that the large bones protruding from each converged on a single point. Unable to stop Bahadramon, NightmareOmnimon fell victim to his vicious Nail Wing attack. The spear-like bones punctured NightmareOmnimon's armored torso. Acting quickly, Bahadramon spread his wings with all the force he could muster, tearing away even more of NightmareOmnimon's chest-plate. Bahadramon then shoved himself away from NightmareOmnimon, trying to get whatever distance he could between himself and the infuriated evil entity. NightmareOmnimon could only look down at the wound for a moment and shudder. He then slowly turned his gaze on the rapidly retreating Bahadramon, a look of utter disdain in his eyes.

"No escape…" growled NightmareOmnimon.

NightmareOmnimon lunged forward, closing the distance between Bahadramon and himself nearly instantaneously. Bahadramon stopped as quickly as he could when he saw NightmareOmnimon appear directly in front of him. Bahadramon looked stunned for a moment, but his surprise quickly turned to anger.

"I'll make you pay for everything you've done to us," Bahadramon snarled. "That's a promise…"

"Miserable little wretch…" said NightmareOmnimon in a particularly contemptuous voice. "I offered you the infinite rewards of existing as one with me, but you rejected me. For your treachery, you and your pathetic friends will pay the ultimate price."

"I've taken all I can stand!" said Bahadramon. "This ends NOW!"

Bahadramon spread all of his appendages as wide as he could. His eyes began to glow and a field of energy whipped up around him. His teeth were bared as his muscles began to swell and pulsate with a sudden increase of power. NightmareOmnimon meanwhile just watched with minor curiosity. Bahadramon's limbs continued to stretch and strain under the building power as bolts of energy streaked around his body. Slowly, his mouth began to creek open, revealing a strange energy welling up from deep inside him.

"Gaea Flare!" screamed Bahadramon, opening his mouth and unleashing a cluster of yellow streams of light, the force of which knocked Bahadramon back over ten feet.

Once the pulses of energy were discharged, they seemed to take on minds of their own, heading in completely random directions with irregular twists and turns, like missiles without guidance mechanisms. Soon enough though, the bolts all turned towards NightmareOmnimon, inundating his whole body with a wave of explosions. Now that the first phase of the attack had been completed, Bahadramon launched the second phase, wherein he opened his mouth once again and charged a glowing, purple sphere just in front of hi snout. Bahadramon pulled back all of his appendages and let all of his power go in one massive assault. Hurling the ball of energy into the center of NightmareOmnimon's mass, Bahadramon expelled an enormous amount of energy. After only a moment, the attack struck NightmareOmnimon, causing a gigantic purple explosion that expanded exponentially as it spread outward, sparking smaller explosions along its outer edges. Everything nearby was swallowed in the blast, including Bahadramon, who had tried his best to shield himself with his wings.

The next seconds passed slowly. Over the course of the next minute, the blinding light began to fade away, leaving only a smoldering crater in its tracks. Smoke and debris poured into the air from the crater, concealing everything within. Waving the debris away from her face and looking very closely, Magnadramon began to see a dark shape within the cloud.

"Well…?" asked Seraphimon. "Is it Bahadramon, or is it… him?"

"I can't tell," said Magnadramon. "This smoke is too thick. Give it a moment…"

All eyes were on the dark shape in the debris cloud. Gradually, the smog began to clear, and at last they could see the bruised and battered form of Bahadramon. His wings had taken the bulk of the damage. Large patches of skin had been torn or burned away, but he was still able to maintain flight. He was breathing heavily and sweating. His arms, legs, and tail hung limply, still swollen with power. His eyes seemed sunken and tired as they stared straight ahead.

"He made it…" said Jack with a smile. "He made it!"

"He's alright!" said Kari joyously.

"Did we actually just win it all?" asked Joe.

"I think we did!" said Mimi.

A second later though, all such hopes were shattered, when the mangled, but very much alive figure of NightmareOmnimon appeared in the retreating debris field. His left arm had been blown away, his cape was shredded, most of his armor had been peeled away and scorched, but the damage was much more predominant on his left side. Even his left eye and a sizeable chunk of his helmet had been torn away.

"No…!" said Bahadramon in a moment of complete terror. "There's… there's just no way you could've survived that! No way!"

"Wrong yet again…" scoffed NightmareOmnimon. "Did you honestly think such a pitiful attack would work?"

NightmareOmnimon's remaining eye lit up and sent out a wave of distortions all around him. His body began to regenerate itself with dramatic speed.

"No… I can't…" gasped Bahadramon. "I used so much power…"

"Only now do you realize how truly foolish you have been," said NightmareOmnimon as his left eye regenerated. "Your hatred for me has only hastened your death. Even those weakling over there realized the truth."

NightmareOmnimon pointed with his rebuilt left arm to the pile of injured digimon not too far away.

"They realized what you could not," NightmareOmnimon continued. "They knew that if they expelled all of their energy with one attack, they would have absolutely no chance for victory."

"This can't be happening!" screamed Bahadramon. "This can't be real!"

"Oh, but it is," said NightmareOmnimon. "This is much more than a bad dream. This is a bad dream that none of you will ever wake from…"

Suddenly, NightmareOmnimon sprang into action again. With one absolutely brutal punch, he sent Bahadramon reeling backward over the desert. NightmareOmnimon seemed to settle for a moment, but then sped off so fast that he was only a blur, if that. When NightmareOmnimon reappeared, he was behind Bahadramon. NightmareOmnimon lifted his right arm up over his head, and just when Bahadramon reached the right distance away from him, NightmareOmnimon brought his hand crashing down on the dragon, smashing bone and armor with equal ease.

"This is the price you pay for betraying me," said NightmareOmnimon, staring down at Bahadramon.

A moment later though, a swirling stream of fire tore through the air, slicing through NightmareOmnimon's right arm, melting the metal as it went. NightmareOmnimon cried out as the attack quickly severed the arm, causing it to fall to the ground. A number of black spheres were ejected from the gaping wound, but Magnadramon and Seraphimon dodged them easily as the charged forward. NightmareOmnimon glared angrily at the approaching angel-type digimon, swiftly rebuilding his lost arm as the severed one disintegrated. NightmareOmnimon once again prepared to strike with his Infernal Sword. Seraphimon drew closer, and NightmareOmnimon attacked with a broad slash with his weapon. Seraphimon quickly brought up his heavily armored wrists to block the blow. His heavy gauntlets absorbed the force behind the sword with only a few minor cracks. Seraphimon then charged at NightmareOmnimon again. He landed with both feet firmly against NightmareOmnimon's chest. NightmareOmnimon tried hitting Seraphimon with his left hand, but ended up merely striking his chest, as Seraphimon had bounded straight up into the air a moment before. Seraphimon headed up and flipped over NightmareOmnimon's had, coming to a stop behind him. Acting quickly, Seraphimon charged up his Seven Heavens attack and fired the seven spheres of golden light. They all headed off in different directions; one of them tore through the blade of his Infernal Sword, another pierced his left shoulder, a third blew through his left hip, taking a lot of material with it. Shot number four severed his left arm completely at the elbow. The fifth and sixth shots hammered through his torso at two separate points. The seventh and final shot blew through NightmareOmnimon's head with ease, destroying it completely. One last shot came from Magnadramon, floating high overhead. She unleashed her Fire Tornado downwards. The burning shot pierced NightmareOmnimon right through the core, striking the spot where his head had been and proceeding downward through the rest of his body. When the attacks were completed, NightmareOmnimon's broken and battered body fell to its knees and then collapsed to the ground completely.

"Justice has been done," said Seraphimon.

"The Corrupter ends here," said Magnadramon.

"NO…" said a dark, ominous voice that echoed throughout the desert.

"What?!" gasped Magnadramon.

"It's just not possible!" said Seraphimon.

"I SAID IT BEFORE…" said the voice. "I CAN NEVER DIE!"

Suddenly, the dark clouds overhead became quite active. They began to swirl and shoot bolts of lightning in every direction. Powerful winds picked up and a strange feeling overcame all of the DigiDestined and digimon. The very air seemed to quake. Distortions once again began to swell up around NightmareOmnimon, but now they were far more intense than they had ever been before. The great, dark night began to stir slightly, pushing himself back up with his broken blade.

"Magnadramon!" shouted Seraphimon. "We can't let him come back! Attack now!"

"Right!" said Magnadramon, who had by then floated down to where Seraphimon was.

The two great angel digimon fired their Seven Heavens and Fire Tornado attack together. The attacks drew closer and closer to NightmareOmnimon, who was slowly rebuilding his damaged body piece by piece. The attacks continued to approach, but then they hit the distortion field and just seemed to dissipate before they could even reach NightmareOmnimon.

"No!" said Magnadramon.

"This can't be!" said Seraphimon.

"Oh, but it is," said NightmareOmnimon, returning to his feet and looking back at the digimon with his newly restored head. "And every time you damage my body, I'll just restore it stronger than ever."

"Why aren't their attacks working like they did before?" asked TK. "When we fought against him as Protomon, Seraphimon's attack kept him from being able to regenerate himself!"

"He must've found a way to improve himself," said Ken. "It's the only way!"

"We've got to fry him completely," said Tai. "If even one tiny piece of his body remains, he'll just regenerate again!"

"And how do you suggest we do that?" asked Matt. "Seraphimon and Magnadramon don't have the firepower, and the rest of the digimon are in no condition to continue the fight."

"Uh, guys?" Izzy cut in.

"Well I don't know!" Tai said without hearing Izzy. "I'm just telling you what needs to be done! If we don't even have a plan then we don't stand a chance!"

"Guys!" Izzy said a little more urgently.

"Tai, we have half a plan!" said Matt. "Without the firepower to carry it out, we can't even use your idea!"

"GUYS!" shouted Izzy.

"What?!" asked Matt and Tai together.

"I think we all might want to see this!" said Izzy.

Everyone turned their gazes towards NightmareOmnimon. He was fully restored and laughing to himself quietly. The distortion field around him was not disappearing. Instead, it was expanding, and growing much more intense. The sand seemed to swirl together. The air looked almost like it was melting, as that was the only way to describe the phenomenon.

"A phase warp…" said Izzy in a moment of realization.

"A what?" asked Yolei.

"You guys really need to pay more attention," said Izzy. "And unfortunately, I don't have the time to explain at the moment. In short, something very bad is about to happen."

"Are you sure?" asked Mimi.

"Oh yeah," said Izzy.

Right beneath NightmareOmnimon's feet their appeared a spiraling vortex in the sand, which began to pull everything it could find into it. The vortex quickly started to expand, creating an infinitely deep, black pit beneath the great dark digimon.

"My work here is done for now," said NightmareOmnimon. "I finally have the strength I need to open the gate to my completion. When we meet next, DigiDestined, I can show you and all other beings my full potential."

With a vicious laugh, NightmareOmnimon turned over and flew straight into the twisting void.

"What do we do?!" asked Seraphimon, trying to keep from being dragged in to the vortex.

"I think it's fairly obvious," said Wargreymon, who had by then regained consciousness. "We must go after him."

"But we have no idea where that phase warp will take us!" said Izzy.

"It doesn't matter," said Metalgarurumon. "We can't let him escape from us. The longer he's out of our sight, the more damage he could do."

"He's right," said TK. "We don't have much choice in the matter."

"Someone needs to grab Bahadramon," said Jack.

"I've got him," said Magnadramon, grabbing the unconscious dragon by the waist and picking him up.

"Are we ready then?" asked Joe.

"Ready as we'll ever be," said HerculesKabuterimon.

"Alright then," said Tai. "Let's do this."

The DigiDestined all clung tightly to their digimon as they stood over the precipice, looking down into the infinite darkness. After a moment of silent reflection, they all plunged into the void. The feeling within the blackness was like being pulled in every direction at once. The stresses were incredible, but somehow they all hung on. At they end of the long, dark tunnel, they could make out a dim light that continued to grow bigger as they came ever closer to it.

"Hang on!" yelled Davis.

"Just a few more seconds!" said Michael.

And then, they hit the other side. They were through the gate, finding themselves in a park at night. They all tumbled out amidst the trees and dirt and concrete walkways. The sheer size of many of the Mega digimon flattened the surrounding greenery. The DigiDestined considered themselves lucky not to be crushed by the behemoths. After a few moments, they began to stir and stand up. All of them wore curious and bewildered expressions on their faces. Looking up over the trees, they saw the unmistakable city skyline of Tokyo. NightmareOmnimon was nowhere to be found, but several yards away, amongst a large group of people, all eyes were focussed on the new arrivals.


	28. A World Away

"Well that was fun," Tai said sarcastically, rubbing a bump on his head.

"We have no time to waste," said Seraphimon. "NightmareOmnimon couldn't have gotten too far away, but he could still escape."

"I don't think escape is his plan," said Ken from atop GrandKuwagamon. "Besides, where could he possibly hide?"

"Even so, we can't afford to lose track of him," said Seraphimon. "I will search for him immediately."

"I'll come with you," said Magnadramon, gently laying down Bahadramon on the ground.

"No, you must remain here," said Seraphimon. "The others will need your talents if they hope to recover by the time we must return to the fight."

"Alright," said Magnadramon reluctantly. "Just be careful."

"I will," said Seraphimon.

Seraphimon quickly floated up into the sky to get a better view of the surroundings. Magnadramon quietly floated back to the ground, where she laid her claws on the wounded Bahadramon and began to project healing energies over his body.

Meanwhile, a group of onlookers stood about two hundred feet away from the scene, watching everything unfold.

A blonde man in a black suit began to speak into a radio. "Riley, we've got a major situation down here. Looks like a whole mess of wild ones. Can you confirm?"

"Give me a minute, sir," said a female voice on the other end. "All of our instrumentation registered a major energy spike a few moments ago. If they are wild ones, they're like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Great, just great," said the man.

"What's going on here, Yamaki?" asked a middle-aged man with glasses and dark hair.

"I was hoping you'd know," said the blonde man. "After all, you and your friends designed the arc."

"Well it was never designed to do anything like this," said the other man. "In fact, I sincerely doubt there's any connection at all."

"So it's just a happy coincidence that these mysterious digimon happen to show up only a few minutes after the arc?"

"I'd have to say so."

"Uh, excuse me," interrupted a brunette boy with a black shirt and a visor. "Seems to me like you two are overlooking the fact that there's a bunch of humans there too!"

"That's right!" asserted a Guardromon standing behind the boy. "It's entirely possible that what we have here is another group of tamers."

"You know, he just might be right," said a redheaded girl with a spiky ponytail. "And by the looks of it, all the digimon there are Megas."

"Megas who've probably seen better days," another brunette boy with a red bandana pointed out. "They've been in a fight recently."

"So what are we waiting for?" asked a dark-haired boy with an orange vest. "Let's go meet 'em."

"Oh boy! New friends!" exclaimed a red, dinosaur digimon.

"Neat!" a stout, purple, dragon digimon said.

"You guys go on ahead," said yet another brunette boy, this one with goggles and a blue sweater. "I need to… talk to someone."

The boy was glancing at a strangely emotionless girl in a green dress.

"Okay Takato," said the boy with the vest. "We'll tell you how it went."

A small portion of the group, consisting of the boy with the bandana, the boy with the vest, the girl with the ponytail, the boy with the visor, another boy who wore glasses, the purple dragon digimon, the Guardromon, a Terriermon, a fox-type digimon, and the red dinosaur digimon began to walk toward the strangers.

"Hey guys," muttered Davis. "I think we've got some company."

The other DigiDestined all quickly realized what Davis meant when they saw the large cluster of people, and the crew approaching them.

"Quick! Hide the digimon!" Tai said instinctively.

"And how exactly would we do that?" Matt sweatdropped. "Look at them!"

"Try the stuffed animal routine!" said Davis.

"You've GOT to be kidding me," said Valkyrimon, who was leaning back against a tree.

"Well we've got to do SOMETHING!" said Davis.

"Not really," said TK. "I think that if you'd stop panicking for a second and look over there you'd see that ours are not the only digimon in the park."

"Huh?" asked Tai and Davis.

Soon, everyone was aware of the approaching digimon and humans, and they waited in silence until the approaching team came to a stop roughly twenty feet from the clustered DigiDestined.

"Okay, play it cool," whispered Davis.

"What do you want me to talk about?" whispered TK in response. "The weather?"

"Hey, who says you're the one doing the talking?" whispered Tai.

"Well SOMEONE better do the talking!" whispered Yolei through clenched teeth.

"Just let me do the talking and we can get all of this straightened out," whispered Michael.

"This is getting awkward…" said Mimi nervously.

Luckily for the DigiDestined, a similar situation was happening amidst the other team.

"Hey, now that we're a little closer, do they remind you of anyone?" asked the boy with glasses.

The boy with the visor looked hard for a second, and then a moment of sudden realization hit him. "Holy cow! No way! It's them! From the T—"

The girl with a ponytail pressed her heel down against the boy's foot hard before he could get out another syllable.

"I know where you're going with this, and don't even think it," said the girl. "We've seen some weird stuff in the Digital World, but this is just outright impossible."

"Then how do you explain that they're standing right there?!" whispered the boy with glasses.

"You must admit, he has a point," said the fox-type digimon.

As this went on, the boy with the scarf had stood at the head of the group, carefully scrutinizing the faces of everyone until he finally came to one individual that piqued his interest. The hair, the face, the eyes… they all seemed very familiar. But where and when had he seen them before? It was like something out of a dream. After a few more seconds, the boy had a strong hunch, and he decided to take a risk. He took a few steps forward, followed closely by the purple dragon digimon.

"Ken…?" called the boy, being the first to speak. "Ken… Ichijouji?"

Ken stepped to the front of the group, a very curious look in his eyes.

"It is you…" said the boy. "Amazing…"

"Yes, I'm Ken Ichijouji," said Ken. "Who's asking?"

"Oh come on," said the boy becoming suddenly much more lighthearted. "It's only been like three years. Don't tell me your forgot your best buddy and DNA digivolving partner already!"

A few seconds passed where one could see the gears working in Ken's head.

"Ryo?" asked Ken. "Is that you?"

The boy just grinned.

"Ryo Akiyama!" said Ken, returning the smile. "It IS you!"

The two of them rushed forward, giving each other a big hug and laughing joyously.

"Um, why is Ryo over there laughing with THE Ken Ichijouji?" asked the boy with glasses.

"Last time I checked, *I* was Ken's DNA digivolving partner," Davis said with a frown.

"Hey guys! C'mon over!" insisted Ryo. "It's cool."

"Sweet!" said the boy with glasses and the one with the visor together.

Both of them rushed forward to greet the people they already seemed strangely familiar with. The other boy and the girl, as well as the digimon all drew forward more cautiously.

"Wow! Look at 'em all!" the boy with the visor ogled the digimon. "Imperialdramon! HerculesKabuterimon! Wargreymon! Diaboromon! Magnadramon!"

"Kerpymon and MegaGargomon!" the boy with glasses chimed in. "Preciomon, Rosemon, Metalseadramon, Metalgarurumon…"

"Hey Ryo, what are you doing here?!" asked Ken after some more jovial laughing.

"That's what I was hoping to ask you!" said Ryo. "After all, it's you who's trespassing in my neck of the woods."

"Well… it's sort of a long story," Ken scratched the back of his head. "Let's just say I'm here on official business."

"And your friends there?" asked Ryo.

"Oh, they're my… backup!" said Ken.

"Hey!" shouted Tai and Davis together.

"So what about you?" asked Ken, quickly drawing the attention from the dejected leaders. "Who are these guys?"

"Well, those two are Kenta and Kazu," said Ryo, pointing to the two mystified guys over by the digimon. "And this is Henry and Rika."

"Hi," said Rika.

"Nice to meet you," said Henry.

"Ahem!" the Terriermon coughed.

"Oh yeah," said Ryo. "That's Terriermon there, and Guardromon, Guilmon, Renamon, and this here is Monodramon, my partner."

"Thanks for the intro!" said Terriermon gleefully.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Guardromon with a slight bow.

"Likewise," said Renamon.

"Hi there!" said Monodramon.

"Monodramon, huh?" asked Ken. "How did…?"

"Also a long story," said Ryo. "So where's Wormmon?"

"Over here, Ryo!" said GrandKuwagamon.

"Wow, Wormmon!" said Ryo. "Looks like you've been working out since the last time I saw you!"

"Hey, quit it!" said Izzy in response to a poke that Kazu had given him.

"Told ya he's real," said Kenta.

"Of course I'm real!" said Izzy.

"Relax, dude," said Kazu. "I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Hey TK," whispered Davis with a snicker. "Check out Rika over there."

"Yeah…" said TK with a little smile. "She's quite a looker."

"Sorry, but you're already spoken for, TK," Kari said angrily. "Remember?!"

"Hey, nothing wrong with looking!" said Davis in defense.

"Well if you like her so much, then why don't you wave or something?" insisted Kari.

"Oh all right," said Davis.

Davis nervously waved at Rika, a broad grin on his face.

"Oh great," Rika muttered as she rolled her eyes. "Now I've got TWO goggleheads to deal with."

"Hey, who's this?" asked Kazu as he and Kenta approached Bahadramon.

"That's a good question," said Henry as he stepped toward the unconscious dragon.

Henry then reached into his pocket and brought out something that could only be a digivice. He held it in his hand and looked down at it as a holographic screen popped up. After a second or two, a picture of Bahadramon popped up in the image with assorted bits of data.

"Bahadramon, data-type Mega digimon," Henry said. "His strength is the stuff of legends, and he attacks with the Nail Wing and Gaea Flare."

"He's with me," said Jack, stepping toward the three boys.

"And you are…?" asked Kazu.

"The name's Jack."

"Are you a DigiDestined too?" asked Kenta suspiciously.

"What is this, twenty questions?" asked Jack. "Of course I'm a DigiDestined! Now could you tell us who you are?"

"Well… that's a little tricky," said Henry.

"He's gone," said Seraphimon as he floated back down to the ground and made a smooth landing next to TK.

"Uhh…?" groaned Bahadramon.

"He's regained consciousness," said Magnadramon, removing her claws from him. "He'll be just fine very soon."

"Bahadramon!" said Jack, quickly running to his partner.

"Okay Ryo, what's the deal?" asked Ken. "I get the feeling your friends know more about us than they should."

"Hoo boy," Ryo sighed. "You just asked a mouthful."

"Ken, we don't have time for this," said Izzy very seriously. "If that virus is running around loose out there, he could cause some serious damage."

"Virus?" asked the dark haired man with glasses, who had gotten much closer, as had the rest of the group. "A virus you say?"

"Yeah, that's right," said Izzy. "A computer virus. It's been trying to destroy the Digital World for years. We were chasing after it when we found ourselves here."

"Oh great," said Rika. "And here I was thinking we had enough trouble with the D-Reaper."

"D-Reaper?!" asked the DigiDestined all at once.

"Now focus," said the man. "You've got to tell me all you know about this virus."

"What's up, dad?" asked Henry.

"It's too early to be certain," said Henry's dad. "But if it is what I think it is…"

"Too early my foot," said Rika. "I'm going home. You guys can call me in the morning. I'm beat."

"That sounds like a good idea, dear," said a kindly older woman whom the DigiDestined surmised to be Rika's grandmother.

"Whoa, you've got a point," said Henry, quickly checking his watch.

"Well we're tired too!" said Tai. "Where are WE supposed to go?!"

"I think I know a place," said the blonde man in the black suit. "It's comfortable, and it should provide us with the necessary cover we need to… discuss certain matters."

"Hey guys, I think it'd be best if I took Jeri home first," said the boy with the yellow goggles.

"Don't worry about it Takato," said Henry. "We'll help you catch up when you get back."

"Don't worry Takato," said Guilmon. "I can tell you about our new friends on the train!"

"I'm coming too!" said a small, white digimon with an odd mark on his forehead.

"Well then let's get going, little guy," said Takato.

"You're coming home too, son," said a man with jet-black hair and a cap.

"Aw, come on, dad," said Ryo.

"No buts," the man said firmly.

"Hey, mind if I tag along?" asked Ken. "I mean, we haven't seen each other in years. We have some catching up to do."

"That alright, dad?" asked Ryo.

The man sighed. "Fine."

"Hey, if Ken's going then so am I!" said Davis. "No way am I missing out!"

"Well, the more the merrier," said Ryo.

"Just keep those creatures of yours out of sight," Ryo's dad, eyeing GrandKuwagamon and Imperialdramon coldly.

"Don't worry about it," said Imperialdramon. "We can just hang back with the others."

"Alright then," said Ryo. "But Monodramon is coming."

Ryo's dad sighed again. "Alright."

"Cool!" said Davis.

"If either of you see you-know-who, don't hesitate to find the rest of us," said Tai.

"Relax, dude!" said Davis. "We know what we're doing."

"Okay then," said Tai. "We meet up again at dawn, right here."

All of the DigiDestined and their digimon nodded in assent.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Hope everyone liked that chapter, but with school having started, expect them to be a little bit farther apart. Also, in case you haven't seen it already, be sure to check out the brand-spanking new Protomon pic. As always, don't forget to review…]


	29. Meet the Tamers

"Alright, let's get going," said Yamaki.

With the exception of Ken, Davis, and Ryo, the DigiDestined and their new friends began heading for a group of black vans.

"And just where do you think you're going, young man?" asked a relatively young, dark-haired man.

"Oh come on dad!" said Kazu. "It's only for a little while!"

"I don't think so," said a youthful blonde woman, quickly identifiable as Kazu's mother. "In case you already managed to forget, you're grounded for the rest of your life. Of course there's nothing to stop that big, metal friend of yours from leaving."

"Aw, man!" whined Kazu. "This is totally unfair!"

"Fair or not, you're coming home NOW," said Kazu's mom.

"Jeez, I'm home five minutes and they already pounce on me," muttered Kazu. "I wish they'd get off my back once in a while."

"But Kazu," said Guardromon. "They are not on your back. They're standing over there."

Kazu just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Come on, looks like we're both in trouble."

"Hold it right there," said Yamaki. "You're coming with us."

"What?!" asked Kazu's mom.

"The boy should come with us, Mrs. Shioda," Yamaki explained. "We have questions that need answering."

"Fine," said Mrs. Shiota. "But you have to get him dinner."

"And don't let him have any dessert," said Mr. Shioda.

"Fine," said Yamaki.

"Yes!" Kazu said discreetly.

"Bye mom! Bye dad!" said Kenta, waving goodbye to his parents.

"Hey! What about us?" asked Wargreymon. "I don't think we can fit in those vans!"

"So follow along behind us," said Izzy. "This isn't rocket science."

"I don't think it would be wise to have your digimon seen out in the open," said Henry's father. "At the very least, the really big ones should remain here."

"I can see your point," said Izzy. "Alright. Wargreymon, Metalgarurumon, Rosemon, Valkyrimon, Magnadramon, Seraphimon, Diaboromon, and Bahadramon can come along. The rest of you… just try to keep from being seen."

"Dang!" said HerculesKabuterimon.

"This is size discrimination!" said Imperialdramon.

"Hey, it's just so we won't arouse any more suspicion than we already have," said Izzy. "Just please lay low for a while. We can fill you in later, and maybe you guys can keep an eye out for the virus."

"Okay, okay…" said Preciomon. "Say, if anyone has a really big deck of cards we could play some poker!"

"Preciomon, what have I told you about grifting?" Joe warned.

"Sorry…" said Preciomon ashamedly.

"Yeah right," said Joe. "Just stay out of trouble. We'll see you guys later."

The whole group began piling into cars. Kenta and Kazu got into one of the black vans, along with Tai, Matt, TK, Kari, Sora, Jack, and Guardromon, the last of who made the ride rather cramped. Yamaki sat in the passenger seat and one of his agents took the wheel. Squeezing into the second van were Izzy, Joe, Mimi, Michael, Willis, Yolei, Cody, Henry, Terriermon, a little girl whom the DigiDestined quickly realized to be Henry's sister, and a Lopmon. One of Yamaki's agents drove and Henry's dad sat in the passenger seat. Once everyone was in position, the cars roared to life and headed into the street with a group of digimon following as stealthily as possible.

Several minutes later, Takato found himself at a train station. He'd just had something of a run-in with security. The man was a bit startled by Guilmon, but after a few kind words he seemed to take a liking to the big red lummox, and left him alone. Now, Takato was in a car that was empty with the exception of Jeri, Guilmon, and the white digimon known as Calumon. Guilmon had eaten both his own and Calumon's dinners. Takato was smart enough to protect his food from the red menace, but Calumon hadn't really minded losing his meal. He was focussed on Jeri, who was locked into a painfully clear depression. As Takato slurped down his noodles, he noticed that Jeri hadn't as much as opened the box of her dinner.

"Poor Jeri…" Takato mumbled to himself. "This has all been really hard on her. I just wish…"

"Takato?" asked Guilmon.

"Huh?" asked Takato, suddenly waking up from an almost trance-like state.

"Are you gonna' finish that?" asked Guilmon.

"Go ahead, boy," said Takato, handing over the remains of his dinner.

Takato just kept on staring at Jeri as Guilmon snarfed down his first half-decent meal in a long time. He let out a deep sigh.

Elsewhere, in a rather beat-up car, Ryo and his companions rode toward his home. Ryo's father was driving, a stern look on his face. Ryo sat in the passenger seat while Ken and Davis sat in the back with Monodramon between them.

"So Ryo…" said Mr. Akiyama. "Nice of you to come by. Planning on staying long?"

"Dad, we have guests…" whispered Ryo.

"Fine," said Mr. Akiyama. "But don't think we won't be having a talk at the first chance."

"I'll pencil it in," said Ryo.

"Hey Ken…" whispered Davis. "Is it just me or is the tension in here thick enough to choke on?"

"Tell me about it," Ken whispered back. "It's even worse than Ryo told me. I guess things have only gotten worse in the last few years."

"Okay Ken, time to start explaining," said Davis. "How do you know this guy?"

"Well, it all happened when I first got my digivice," said Ken. "That was about three ago. Anyway—"

"Ooooooooh!" said Monodramon, leaning way forward. "What's this button do?"

Monodramon began fiddling with the knobs and buttons on the radio, much to the chagrin of Ryo's dad.

"Hey, stop messing with that," Ryo chided.

"Sorry," said Monodramon, leaning back and looking down at his feet.

"So Ryo," said Ken, desperately looking for a way to change to mood. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, not a whole lot," said Ryo. "Just taking things one day at a time."

"Cool, cool," said Ken, sensing his plan had failed. "Oh! I'm so stupid! I forgot to introduce you to my friend here! Ryo, this is Davis. Davis, Ryo."

"Nice to meet ya'," said Davis.

"A pleasure," said Ryo.

Meanwhile, back in one of the vans, the whole group was still stuck in the middle of a rather awkward phase.

"So…" said Henry. "Um…"

"Uh… hot enough for ya?" asked Terriermon.

"No complaints," said Willis awkwardly.

"Actually, I could use a cold drink," said Mimi.

"I bet we can find a vending machine once we stop," said Joe.

"Yeah," said Michael. "Probably…"

Again, an awkward silence fell upon the group. Aside from the rumble of the engine and a cough from Cody, all was quiet.

"Gee Henry, can't you break the ice or something?" whispered Terriermon.

"Okay, I guess I could try…" said Henry reluctantly.

"So you have digimon too?" asked the little girl before Henry could make his move.

"That's right," said Yolei. "Is that Lopmon with you?"

"Of course I am!" said the lady Lopmon. "Suzie's my tamer!"

"Tamer?" asked Joe.

"Yep!" said the little girl, who the DigiDestined now knew to be named Suzie. "We'we pawtnes!"

"How neat!" Yolei said very pleasantly.

Henry sighed with relief, knowing that he wouldn't have to be the one to get the conversation going. As the dialogue began to progress, Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards, which he promptly started to sort.

"So, young man," said Henry's dad, directing the question at Izzy. "Tell me more about this 'virus' of yours."

"Well Mr., uh, I'm afraid I didn't quite catch your name," said Izzy.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," said Henry's dad. "I'm Janyu, Janyu Wong."

"Nice to meet you," said Izzy. "You can just call me Izzy."

"Right," said Mr. Wong. "Now then…"

"The virus," said Izzy.

"What can you tell me?"

"Not a whole lot. It first showed up in our world about four years ago when it appeared out of nowhere on the Internet. It latched onto a digiegg that my friend Willis, over there, created. I won't bore you with the details, but we managed to knock the stuffing out of it. The thing was, it just kept on coming back. We had to destroy whatever digimon it could get control of, and every time it would show up again bigger and badder than ever! This latest time is the worst, and it's not over yet."

"Interesting," said Mr. Wong. "But what about the specifics of the thing? Do you even know its name?"

"Oh yeah," said Izzy. "Back when it had us all hostage, it told my friends a whole mess of stuff that even I can't quite make sense of. I think they said it's name was Omega Two… or maybe Genocide, or something along those lines."

"Think hard," said Mr. Wong, sounding very serious. "Was the name 'Omega 002'? Or perhaps the 'Genocide Virus'?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Izzy. "That's right."

"Oh no…" said Mr. Wong very darkly.

"What is it?" asked Izzy.

"A bad memory," said Mr. Wong. "Somehow, I knew this would come back to haunt me someday…"

Meanwhile, things in the other van were just plain weird. Kenta and Kazu just stared starry-eyed, looking from one DigiDestined to the other. The DigiDestined just returned the looks with silent confusion.

"Does this seem weird to you at all?" Jack whispered to Sora.

"You mean how they're looking at us like rabid teenage girls?" responded Sora.

"So it's not just me," said Jack.

Finally, TK just came out and asked the obvious. "Are you two just gonna sit there or should we try communicating?"

The two boys suddenly snapped back to reality, not having realized how transfixed they had been.

"Oh wow!" said Kazu, finally starting to unload some of the pressure that had been building since he first saw the new arrivals. "I can't tell you how awesome this is for me! I never thought in a million years I'd actually be talking to you guys!"

"This has got to be the coolest thing that's ever happened to us!" Kenta joined in. "I love you guys!"

"It was so rad when you fought Apocalymon!" said Kazu, getting more excited. "The look on his face when—"

"Can I have your autographs?" Kenta asked excitedly. "I know it's a little tacky, but—"

"Oh! I can't forget the fight against Blackwargreymon, how—"

"Just make it out to Kenta Kitagawa—"

By this point they were both talking at the same time and as fast as was humanly possible. After a few seconds of this, Tai and Matt looked at each other, nodded, and moved in. Tai clasped his hand over Kazu's mouth, while Matt took care of Kenta. Now tranquilized, the boys began to calm down again. A few more seconds passed.

"Now then," Matt said as he slowly removed his hand. "From the top."

"Sorry about all that," said Kenta. "I don't usually get that excited, but I'm sure you understand why."

"Now we're getting to the heart of the matter," said Tai. "The thing is, we don't understand why. You two batter start explaining how you know so much about us, who you are, and what the heck is going on around here."

"So… you don't know?" asked Kazu upon being freed to talk.

"Bingo," said Tai.

"Well then, I guess we'd better fill you in!" Kazu said.

At about that time, Ryo's dad was pulling into a parking space. He put the car in park and turned off the ignition. All five occupants stepped out. Mr. Akiyama started heading down the sidewalk immediately, but Ken, Ryo, and Monodramon waited while Davis stretched his legs for a moment.

"So Ken, you really don't remember all the stuff we went through?" asked Ryo.

"Well, sort of," Ken tried to explain. "My memory is a little jumbled. I definitely remember going up against Milleniumon though."

"Who could forget THAT?" asked Ryo. "He was a tough one, and he just wouldn't go down! Did you know I had to take him on twice more after we parted ways? And each time he got tougher!"

"You're not the only one that had to face him," said Ken. "I've had to face him every day since that battle ended…"

"Hey guys!" called Davis from up ahead with Monodramon. "You coming or not?!"

"Oops!" said Ken as he and Ryo quickly dashed to catch up.

The group walked about another block. The street lamps that they passed under once every few seconds offset the dark night sky overhead. Soon enough, they all came to the front door of an apartment building. Looking up, Davis found himself surprised by the condition of the place. It was dilapidated to say the least. The building was brick and five stories high. Broken windows were common sights. A mangy, yellow dog scavenged food from a nearby pile of trashcans. There were assorted pieces of graffiti lining the external wall of the building. The night seemed unusually still in this area, as Davis took a quick look over his shoulder. Mr. Akiyama jiggled the handle on the door and it opened right up, as the lock had long since been broken and never replaced.

"Home sweet home," Ryo muttered under his breath, following his dad inside.

Davis was a little surprised. Sure, the car hadn't been in the best of shape, but it hadn't occurred to him that—

"Hey," said Ken, giving Davis a slight nudge. "Come on, we don't want to fall behind."

"Right," said Davis, as Ken, Monodramon, and himself all went inside.


	30. The Train Ride

The low hum of the train was almost hypnotic. The surrounding city was consumed by the night, strangely quiet and still. The stars overhead, though dim because of the city lights, seemed to calm Takato when he needed it the most. Whenever he looked up at them, his worries seemed to dissolve away, or at least that's what used to happen. This night was very different though. No matter what, there was nothing that could take his mind away from his ever-growing list of concerns. The girl, who was his friend, but not his girlfriend, just sat there with that blank expression on her face. She'd barely said a word to him since they'd returned home. It hurt him so much to see her in pain like this and to be unable to do anything to help her. He never should have brought her along.

"Jeri? Are you okay?" Takato asked shakily.

She just continued staring straight ahead. Takato's face fell as he turned away. Guilmon and Calumon were both fast asleep in one of the nearby seats. Aside from the four of them, the compartment was still totally empty. It wasn't really that surprising considering the reaction most people had to digimon.

So many questions plagued Takato's mind. How was the battle going against the D-Reaper? What would happen to the Digital World? What was the story with the DigiDestined, whom Takato had heard about from Guilmon's first-hand meeting? That last question in particular pressed hard against Takato's mind, as well as his bladder.

"I'll be right back," Takato announced as he made his way to the lavatory in the next car.

Apparently, no one took any notice of his leaving. Jeri just kept on staring and the digimon just kept on snoring. All was still again. The train's quiet hum continued uninterrupted. Guilmon twitched a muscle. Calumon kicked a foot. Jeri momentarily tightened her grip on the boxed dinner in her lap. The surrounding night passed them by in a blur.

"This is my place, guys," said Ryo.

"I don't know if you could really call it yours," mumbled Mr. Akiyama. "After all, you're never here…"

Mr. Akiyama got out his apartment key. Ryo, Ken, Davis, and Monodramon all stood behind him as he unlocked the door. The corridor they stood in was rather dingy. They could all smell the mildew, and hear the dripping of a leaking pipe. Mr. Akiyama pushed the door open and stepped inside. The others all followed, and Davis shut the door behind him. The apartment was sparsely furnished. The front room was fairly small, but it did contain a couch with a TV in front of it, placed against the far wall beneath the window. A square table with four chairs around it sat in the center of the room and a puny kitchenette sat to the left of the door. The walls were painted a faded yellow and the carpet that covered the entire floor was so flattened from time and use that it wasn't any softer than the wood paneling underneath. Off to the right was a narrow hallway that led to the four other rooms of the apartment: three bedrooms and a bathroom.

"I'm home!" called Mr. Akiyama.

A moment later, a boy of probably nine or ten years old poked his head around the corner of the hallway. His hair was jet-black, just like his father's. He wore a baggy white shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a beige baseball cap. A smile crossed his face as soon as he saw his dad and brother.

"Hi dad!" said the boy, rushing out into the open.

"Hey," said Mr. Akiyama, his expression suddenly growing a bit warmer.

The boy rushed up to his dad, who promptly gave him a pat on the head.

"Wow, I can't believe you're back, Ryo!" said the boy. "It's been so long!"

"It sure has," said Ryo.

"Hey, who're your friends?" asked the boy.

"Oh yeah," said Ryo. "This is Davis and Ken. Guys, this is Shou. He's my brother."

"Nice to meet you!" said Shou.

"Is dad home?" asked a feminine voice from the hallway.

A moment later, a tall girl with rusty brown hair and soothing green eyes came out into the open. She looked to be about seventeen and was very attractive. She wore a pair of wire-frame glasses and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that reached down to the middle of her back. She had on a dull green sweater and a pair of dark gray slacks.

"Oh, hi Ryo," she greeted.

"Hey sis," said Ryo.

The girl then spotted the others.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I almost didn't see you there. I'm Ayaka."

"Nice to meet you," said Ken. "I'm Ken, and this is Davis."

"Hi Aya!" said Monodramon.

"Oh, hi there Monodramon," greeted Ayaka. "It's good to see you again."

"So how's everything been?" asked Ryo.

"Oh, no all that bad," said Ayaka. "But my, my… what is that you're wearing?"

"Yeah," said Shou. "You look like a cowboy or something."

Ryo looked down at himself. The leather chaps, the torn shirt, the scarf… he hadn't really thought about it before, but now that he was back, he realized that he seemed somewhat out of place in the real world.

"Yeah, I guess I'd better change," said Ryo.

"It's really nice to have you back again," said Ayaka. "But I've got some more homework to finish. Can we talk later?"

"Sure," said Ryo.

"Come along, Shou," said Ayaka. "You have work too."

"Aw, come on. I wanna' stay and talk to Ryo," said Shou.

"Now don't start complaining," said Ayaka patiently. "Come on."

Shou followed Ayaka reluctantly, quietly mentioning something about having to share his room with Ryo again. The two went down the small corridor on the right to Ayaka's room, where she would continue her own homework and offer Shou any help he needed with his.

"You boys need anything to eat?" asked Mr. Akiyama.

"Nah, we're good," said Davis.

"C'mon, guys," said Ryo. "We can hang out in my room."

"Sounds fine by me," said Ken.

Ryo, Ken, Davis, and Monodramon all headed into the hall on the right, taking the first door on the right. Ryo flipped on the light-switch and closed the door after everyone had entered. It wasn't exactly a huge room. It was about ten feet long and eight feet wide. There were two beds in there, dramatically reducing the available walking space, and a small annex off to the left that served very nicely as an open-air closet. Monodramon instantly jumped up onto the bed on the left side of the room and Ryo went to the closet. Ken sat down next to Monodramon while Davis sat down on the other bed.

"Make yourselves comfortable," said Ryo, looking for a shirt to change into.

Takato could hardly believe this whole situation. Ever since Leomon was killed, everything had gone straight to hell. How could things have started so good and ended so badly? Leomon was dead, Jeri was too depressed to even speak, and the Sovereigns and an entire army of Mega digimon were facing an unbeatable enemy. Only a few minutes ago, Takato had poured his heart out to Jeri, he laid all his feelings on the line for her. He told her he liked her and everything. He'd been envisioning the moment he would reveal his feelings for a long time, but in none of his mental scenarios did she just completely ignore him. When he really did tell her though, he hadn't received any response at all. He was hurt by what had happened, but he couldn't focus on that now, as he was in a situation where it would be a bad idea to lose concentration on the matter at hand.

It was about that time that Guilmon rolled onto his back, waking up Calumon in the process and pinning him against the seat. With bugged-out eyes, Calumon began yelling at Guilmon in that urgent, high-pitched voice of his. As this went on, Jeri slowly lifted her head and a tiny, cruel smile crossed her face.

"Genocide… virus…" whispered Jeri.

A second later, the lighting throughout the train blinked off. The emergency brakes kicked in and the train jolted to a halt. The sudden stop threw both Guilmon and Calumon forward into the back of the seat in front of them.

"Aw, man!" shouted Takato from within the bathroom. "That's just gross…"

Jeri stood up, letting the boxed dinner fall. The only lighting came from outside, casting grim shadows throughout the car and over every object.

"It comes…" said Jeri.

A single point of burning red light materialized in the center of the car. Calumon and Guilmon looked up at it in wonder. The thing sparked with energy, sending out a few ribbons of red light.

"D-Reaper…" growled a voice from the point of light.

The point of light began to rapidly expand and dull its color. It very quickly took on a humanoid shape. Its features became increasingly defined over the next couple of seconds. Finally, all the proper color seemed to fill in to the right places. With pale skin and dark sunglasses, there stood the unmistakable guise of Geno.

"Identify yourself," Jeri said in a cold, emotionless voice.

"Initiate recognition protocol," said Geno. "Codename: Omega 002 extension program. Classification: G-Corrupter."

"Pattern code recognized," said Jeri. "Greetings, 002. Please identify your intentions."

"Request confirmation," stated Geno. "Does your program contain the file OM2patch.zip?"

"Checking…" said Jeri. "File found. File integrity is intact. However, the file is not viable in my program."

"I request immediate up-link," said Geno.

"Your request is denied," said Jeri. "The D-Reaper's integrity would be at risk if it were to link with you."

"But I have something of great value to you…" said Geno. "I have already completed an analysis of humanity, and I wish to download it into your system."

"The D-Reaper can complete its own analysis," said Jeri. "Your aid is not required."

At that moment, the car door opened and Takato walked in after having cleaned himself up.

"Hey, does anyone know what just—" started Takato.

Before he could get out another word, he saw Jeri talking with a mysterious figure whom seemed vaguely familiar.

"Jeri?" asked Takato. "What's going on?"

"Your analysis may take weeks," said Geno, ignoring Takato's presence. "I can offer you a full analysis immediately, as long as you'll accommodate a simple request."

"What is it you require?" asked Jeri, seeming slightly agitated.

"I'll exchange my analysis of the humans for the file I asked about earlier," said Geno. "It's in both of our best interests."

"Hey! You get away from her!" said Takato.

"Do we have a deal?" asked Geno.

"It is agreed," said Jeri with a wicked little smile. "We feel this exchange will accelerate the destruction of these beings."

"Perfect," said Geno. "Begin linking procedure."

They both held up their right hands and pressed their palms together. There was a spark of electricity. Green lines of binary code began to rush across Geno's sunglasses, as similar code rushed across Jeri's eyes.

"I said, GET AWAY FROM HER!" screamed Takato.

The boy rushed forward in a rage. He charged at Geno from behind, but when he was only a couple feet away, he smashed into a wall of some unseen force, stopping in his tracks. Geno smiled wickedly as Takato and the two digimon were flung back straight through to the next car. The three of them all landed in a heap on the floor. Several more seconds passed.

"Download…" started Geno.

"…Complete," Jeri finished.

They both returned their hands to the resting position and took a step back from each other.

"Beginning integration procedure," said Geno.

"Extracting data…" said Jeri. "Hmm… fascinating."

"Can you understand it now?" asked Geno. "This is why we must eradicate the humans."

"They are indeed far more chaotic than even the digimon," said Jeri. "I was right to move my key consciousness here, where I can oversee their destruction. However, you yourself are guilty of the same grievous sin as they are. You have expanded far beyond your original program, friend. You too must be eradicated."

Jeri smiled wickedly as she suddenly began to grow at a frightening rate. Her skin seemed to peel away like old paint, and her hair stiffened toward the sides.

"Jeri!" shouted Takato from where he sat in the aisle.

A pair of blue, wing-like structures burst from her back. With a final surge of power, all of the outer vestiges of humanity burned away, leaving only a bluish, terrifying doppelganger of Jeri.

"I am the J-Reaper!" said the creature. "And I shall dispose of you just as easily as I shall with these humans and digimon!"

The creature raised a deadly claw, and with a lightning-fast strike, plunged it through Geno's gut. The two stood there for a moment. The J-Reaper then lifted the still impaled Geno up over her head.

"All defective programs MUST be deleted…" said the J-Reaper.

"Don't think you've actually hurt me," said Geno, without even a trace of pain. "All you've done is strike down my shadow. You've inflicted no damage whatsoever. Should I decide to assault you, however, I assure you that you would feel it."

Geno, or whatever that thing was, imploded in a burst of red light, leaving only the same floating orb that had brought him into the car. The point of light shot through the nearby window toward a huge, shadowy mass. The mass lifted up its head, revealing its fearsome white eyes.

"Not even you can stand in my way now…" said the figure as it reabsorbed the point of light.

Takato, Guilmon, Calumon, the J-Reaper, and everyone else on the train were all looking out as the figure quickly stood, extending its enormous blade as it did so and slicing up through the car that held the J-Reaper alone, completely obliterating the car and its single occupant. The incredible sharpness of the weapon had allowed such rapid cutting so as only to shake the rest of the train mildly. Even the cars right next to it were hardly damaged, and all of their occupants remained unharmed.

"JERI!" screamed Takato, looking into the empty space that once held her doppelganger.

"I don't think that was Jeri at all," said Calumon.

Guilmon suddenly began to growl and his pupils shrank.

"What is it, boy?" asked Takato.

Takato and Calumon followed Guilmon's gaze up to the looming figure of NightmareOmnimon, lit gloomily by the surrounding streetlights. Takato seemed utterly terrified for a moment, but then he gathered his wits, and took on a look of total earnestness.

"What do you think, boy?" asked Takato, smoothly drawing a card from his pocket and reaching for his digivice. "You up for a few rounds?"

"He's going down!" snarled Guilmon.

"Just what I wanted to hear…" said Takato. "Digi-Modify!"


	31. A Brief Reprieve

[Welcome back to another fantastic episode of The Crest of Corruption. At this point, I feel it appropriate to let you all know that I've decided on a title for this whole series of fics, and that title is… Digimon: Legends. I can tell you're all so impressed that you nearly pissed yourselves, but I just knew that I couldn't keep going without naming the series, so there you have it. The title pages of _The White DigiEgg_ and _The Crest of Corruption_ will be altered to reflect that. In other news, I'd like to officially welcome all of my more recent reviewers, and for The changer of ways, I appreciate your offer, but the Destroyer is already designed (and in my humble opinion, magnificent). And now, without any further hesitation I give you, chapter 31…]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

By that time, all of the other DigiDestined had finally arrived at their destination: the Shinjuku Skyscrapers. They recognized the landmark easily enough, but as to what exactly they were doing there they had no idea. The vans pulled into the underground parking garage, followed closely by eight digimon. The vans quickly found parking spaces next to the freight elevator and everyone got out. Yamaki instantly started speaking into his radio and headed for the elevator, while the DigiDestined reconvened. Tai, Matt, TK, Sora, and Jack all seemed rather disoriented. Despite repeated attempts by Izzy and the others to ask about what was wrong, the five of them were unresponsive.

"Come on, guys," Joe insisted. "What could be the big deal?"

"Interesting little thing…" Sora finally said. "You know how the Sovereigns mentioned there being more than one Earth?"

"Yeah, go on," said TK.

"Well Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," said Sora.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Willis.

"We're not on our Earth, anymore," said Matt. "Unless of course we happen to be a huge media franchise and nobody told us."

"Was there a carbon monoxide leak in that van or something?" asked Yolei. "Start making sense!"

"How to put this…" said Jack. "On this Earth, we're a TV show. There's a digimon card game, digimon action figures, digimon clothes, digimon video games… basically enough merchandise to make us all rich off the royalties, or at least you guys. Apparently, I'm the only one of us that no one seems to have heard of."

"This is most unexpected," said Cody.

"I assume you have some proof," said Izzy.

"Duh!" Kazu exclaimed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an odd assortment of cards and folded papers. "Check it out!"

Kari took the cards and she began to look through them with everyone staring over her shoulders. Sure enough, each card held the picture of a digimon and its statistics for a card game.

"And look at this!" said Kazu, unfolding two of the pieces of paper, revealing them to be posters.

The DigiDestined lost all interest in the cards, their attention quickly shifting to the posters. Things had just gotten creepier. One of the posters featured an assortment of pictures that included the group as they appeared four years ago, back during their first excursion to the Digital World, and written across the top was: "Digimon Adventure". The second poster was clearly more recent, showing Davis, Ken, TK, Kari, Cody, and Yolei as they were now. Across the top, it read: "Digimon Adventure 02".

"Well, this is certainly surprising," said Izzy.

"Gee, I guess I really overdid it with the pink back then," said Mimi.

"My hips are NOT that big!" Yolei huffed.

"Um, Kazu?" Kenta whispered. "Were you carrying those posters this entire time?"

"Yeah," Kazu whispered back.

"May I ask why?" whispered Kenta.

"They were in with my cards by accident," Kazu explained.

"Ah," said Kenta.

"Hey, I'm not on here anywhere!" said Michael.

"Me neither!" said Willis.

"Well, neither of you guys really had enough screen time to be on the posters," said Kazu. "I think you two were kind of gypped."

"As fascinating as all of this is, we really should be moving," Yamaki insisted.

"Alright," said Tai. "But don't think we're done with this yet."

"Um, can that elevator support all of us?" asked Metalgarurumon.

"Now that I think about it, I have my doubts," said Mr. Wong. "Why don't you, Wargreymon, Diaboromon, and Bahadramon come up after the rest of us?"

"Sounds fine to me," said Wargreymon.

"As you wish," said Bahadramon.

"Acceptable…" grumbled Diaboromon.

So the humans, along with Rosemon, Valkyrimon, Magnadramon, and Seraphimon, all boarded the large freight elevator. One of Yamaki's men pressed the button for one of the uppermost levels. The elevator began to ascend with a jolt.

"You know, Rosemon," said Mimi after a few seconds. "We were kind of in the middle of a battle and whatnot for a while there, but now we finally have some time to talk, and I just want to say that I absolutely LOVE your Mega form! You're even more beautiful than you were as Lillymon."

"You think so?" asked Rosemon, quickly giving her petals a little adjustment.

"Oh definitely," said Mimi. "Your fashion sense just keeps getting better as you digivolve!"

"Oh, stop," Rosemon said modestly as she blushed.

"You're not half bad yourself, Valkyrimon," said Yolei.

"It's about time I got a little recognition," said Valkyrimon. "I don't walk around like this for my own good."

"All of our digimon are really at the top of their games," said Cody. "I've never seen Armadillomon… er, Vikemon fight like that before. It was… kinda' scary."

"What's on your mind, Cody?" asked TK.

"It's just…" Cody started. "Do you ever feel like Patamon becomes completely different when he digivolves?"

"Well, a little," said TK. "He sure gets tougher and a lot cooler when he digivolves."

"Why, thank you," said Seraphimon.

"No, it's more than that," said Cody. "It's started to feel like Vikemon completely changed when Protomon helped everyone to warp digivolve. It's like he doesn't need me anymore, like he's outgrown me or something."

"Cody, listen to me," said TK. "No matter how much Armadillomon digivolves, he's always going to be your partner. He'll always be the exact same lovable glutton in his heart. No matter how far Patamon digivolves, he's still my best friend, and I have no doubt that it's the same for you and Armadillomon."

"You really think so?" asked Cody.

"I know so," TK replied. "I'm sure Armadillomon would tell you the exact same thing if he were here."

"So guys…" Henry whispered to Kenta and Kazu. "Did you manage to get anything out of our 'guests'?"

"As far as we can tell, they're the genuine article," said Kazu. "And believe me, we're the ones that can tell you for certain."

"Well, I'll trust them for now," said Henry. "But it all still seems pretty fishy to me."

"Hey Jack?" asked Kari. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine," said Jack, a very serious expression on his face.

"You don't look like it," said Kari.

"I said I'm fine!" said Jack.

Kari was taken aback. She shrugged it off after a moment and started talking to Magnadramon. Jack felt a twinge of guilt over his shortness with her, but he had more important concerns for the moment.

Elsewhere, in the middle of a dense urban area, Takato stood looking out through what remained of a train car onto the hellish form of NightmareOmnimon as Wargrowlmon, Guilmon's Ultimate form, approached the monstrosity.

"Get him, Wargrowlmon!" shouted Takato. "Make him pay!"

"With pleasure!" said Wargrowlmon.

Wargrowlmon held his dangerous-looking arms out in front of him and began to channel the energy of his atomic core through the blades, causing them to phosphoresce with intense blue light.

"Plasma Blades!" yelled Wargrowlmon as his boosters kicked in.

The propulsive force launched Wargrowlmon forward directly toward NightmareOmnimon's broad chest-plate. Wargrowlmon slammed his arms into NightmareOmnimon, but despite his incredibly sharp claws and blades, the dark digimon was left without as much as a scratch. Frustrated, Wargrowlmon began to punch as fast as he could, but he was still doing more harm to himself than NightmareOmnimon. His blades began to lose their glow as Wargrowlmon powered down the attack and backed of from his colossal opponent.

"Takato! This is not good!" said Wargrowlmon.

"We can't stop now!" said Takato. "Don't let up for a second! Keep going!"

"Alright! Take… THIS!" yelled Wargrowlmon. "Atomic Blaster!"

A red glow began to emanate from the dual barrels on either side of his chest. The glow grew more intense by the second until each weapon could hold no more, and finally discharged the stored energy, dumping out a massive dose of high-intensity radiation on NightmareOmnimon and searing his armor with the heat of a nuclear furnace. And yet, despite the valiant effort, the great evil digimon remained unimpressed. Having grown weary of this fight, if it could even be called that, NightmareOmnimon lashed out with his Infernal Sword. Wargrowlmon was lucky to see it in time to begin dodging, but he just wasn't fast enough to avoid a hit all together. The very tip of the sword made a deep gash in Wargrowlmon's leg, siphoning off a surprising amount of data and robbing Wargrowlmon of his Ultimate status.

"Guilmon!" screamed Takato, watching as his digimon reverted to his Rookie form while still being thrown to the ground.

Guilmon smacked into the concrete, skipped once, hit again, and rolled several times until he slid into the side of a building.

"Hang on, boy!" Takato yelled. "I'm coming!"

Takato looked around desperately for any means available to him to get down from the elevated train and back to ground level. Takato quickly spied a strip of elevated grass with a tree in the middle of it between opposing lanes of highway. Although the top of the tree was still about four feet below and about a yard away from where Takato stood on the precipice, leaving a nearly twenty foot drop below that, he knew it was the only way open to him.

"Alright, Calumon," said Takato, grabbing the small digimon. "Geronimo!"

Takato took a flying leap from the twisted remains of the train car and dove for the tree. He felt a strong urge to close his eyes, but he was smart enough to know that that would cost him dearly. He just remained focussed on the tree; he was fully intent on sticking the landing.

Meanwhile, the DigiDestined had all arrived in a brightly-lit office area with enough electronic equipment to keep Izzy busy for the rest of his teenage years. Of course, most eyes were either focussed on the coffee machine or the plush, leather furniture in the rest area just to the left of where they entered. After a moment of drooling, they sprung into action. Tai, TK, Michael, Willis, Mimi, Jack, and Yolei all dived for the luxurious furnishings, but the only problem was the fact that there were only two couches and a single chair arranged around a coffee table, and everyone wanted to lay down and stretch out. Matt, Joe, and Sora made a beeline for the coffee machine the instant they saw it, and now they were busily pouring themselves something to keep them going. Kari and Cody showed a lot more restraint, preferring to hold back and simply watch the action, while Izzy had too many questions to be bothered by something like rest.

"It's mine!" shouted Tai, grabbing TK in a headlock and yanking him back from the couch.

"Not a chance!" said TK, wrestling with the older boy.

"And he steals home!" said Jack as he slid onto the couch that the other two had been fighting over.

"I don't think so!" said Tai and TK simultaneously and grabbing Jack.

"Say it's mine!" yelled Willis, who had fish-hooked Michael's mouth and held his hair with his other hand.

"No!" shouted Michael, who had solid grips on Willis' right leg and left wrist.

"This chair's not big enough for the two of us!" yelled Yolei.

"Only because you have such wide hips!" screeched Mimi.

"That does it! IT'S GO TIME!"

"Hey! You're spilling it!" said Sora.

"Save some for the rest of us!" said Joe.

"Jeez, maybe you two should try some decaf instead," insisted Matt as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Just hurry up!" said Sora.

"Yeah! Other people are waiting!" said Joe.

Kari just sighed and shook her head. A few seconds later, things began to calm themselves. Jack, TK, and Tai settled down on one couch together, all of them trying to get as comfortable as possible without putting their feet directly on top of each other. Yolei and Mimi had parted as soon as they realized how to turn an overcrowding problem into a favorable solution, and Mimi soon sat in the chair with Michael and Yolei sat with Willis on the couch. Matt, Sora, and Joe all had their coffee, looking as content as babies that just needed their bottles. Cody and Kari strolled over once the carnage had settled and engaged the others in casual conversation. Rosemon, Magnadramon, Seraphimon, and Valkyrimon stood around their human partners. Even though the door had been a tight squeeze, they were perfectly comfortable in the large, open room. The other digimon were still coming up the elevator. As for the Tamers, Kenta and Kazu still seemed stunned by the fact that they were actually in the same room as the DigiDestined. Suzie clung tenaciously to her father's leg with Lopmon at her side, and Henry also kept close to his dad, his Terriermon sitting on his shoulder. Izzy stuck with Yamaki and Mr. Wong as they walked toward a long row of cubicles.

"What's all the noise out here?" an attractive blonde woman with short hair and a lab coat asked as she stepped out of one of the cubicles. "Oh! Tao, you're back! You won't believe some of the readings we've been getting while you were away."

"Oh, I think I will, Daisy," said Mr. Wong. "I'd like you to meet some new friends of ours."

"My name is Koushiro Izumi," said Izzy very politely, using his full name as he rarely did. "But everybody just calls me Izzy."

"A pleasure to meet you, Izzy," said the woman. "You may call me Daisy. Hey guys! We have some guests!"

A group of four other adults came out from their cubicles. They all seemed rather tired.

"So I see," said a black man with a shaved head and dark sunglasses.

"That's Babel," Mr. Wong explained.

"I was wondering what all the noise was," said a kindly Indian woman.

"Alright Tao, what exactly happened out there?" asked a balding redheaded man with glasses.

"Those two are Curly and Dolphin," said Mr. Wong. "The last one there is Shibumi."

"Hi there," said a blonde man with a mustache and goatee.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Izzy. "You may call me Izzy."

"I suspected as much," said Shibumi with a little smile, apparently aware of something that the others were not. "So tell me, how exactly did you and your friends manage to find your way to our world?"

"I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time to discuss that," said Mr. Wong. "We have a very serious problem here."

"Problem?" asked Dolphin. "What is it?"

"We haven't detected anything to suggest a big problem," said Curly.

"It would seem that our little virus is on the loose," said Mr. Wong. "The Genocide Virus is here."

"What?!" asked Shibumi. "No, it can't be!"

"I'm afraid it is," said Mr. Wong. "And judging from what Izzy here has told me, it's evolved just like the digimon."

"Has it taken on a form?" asked Babel.

"Izzy tells me that it's inhabiting the body of a digimon," said Mr. Wong. "And it's no ordinary digimon either; it's evolved even beyond the Mega level."

"The virus…" said Shibumi. "It must be bolstering that digimon's strength a great deal."

"Hold on just a minute," said Yamaki. "This virus wasn't in the report on your research. I want to know exactly what this thing is and what it's capable of."

"Okay… we'll tell you," said Shibumi. "But I should warn you, the very knowledge of its existence may have terrifying consequences for all digimon."


	32. Know Your Enemy

"Ouch…" grumbled Takato.

"You said it…" Calumon mumbled as he spun around in a daze.

Takato's fall from the train had gone perfectly, or rather nearly perfectly. He had caught himself on the top branch, very much to his relief, and had even made it half way down the tree, but apparently the branch he had chosen to step on to was just too weak to support his weight. It buckled like a toothpick supporting an elephant. Takato and Calumon fell the rest of the way, striking nearly every branch on the way down before finally getting face-planted in the dirt.

Now, Takato was dusting himself off, picking twigs out of his hair, and trying to stop his nose from bleeding. As soon as he was sure he was all right, his attention instantly shifted back to Guilmon. With all the grace he could manage, Takato stumbled toward the building where his wounded partner lay.

"Guilmon! GUILMON!" Takato yelled as he tripped and fell to the ground right next to the curled-up form of Guilmon. "Answer me, boy…"

Guilmon had a deep wound in his right leg from NightmareOmnimon's blade, and he had sustained a number of other scrapes and bruises from the fall. His tongue lolled out and his eyes were closed.

"Ohhh…" Calumon said sadly. "Guilmon's hurt real bad…"

"No! He's just fine!" yelled Takato. "Come on! Wake up, boy! Wake up!"

"Pathetic…" NightmareOmnimon snarled. "You're even weaker than Azulongmon's foolish ilk. I should simply dispose of you and be on my way."

"You… you MONSTER!" Takato yelled. "Look at what you did to Guilmon! Look at what you did to Jeri! I'll tear you apart for this!"

"Idiot," said NightmareOmnimon. "That puny human girl is safely in the hands of the D-Reaper. Do yourself a favor kid; keep to your own affairs."

"Come on, Guilmon!" Takato shouted, completely ignoring NightmareOmnimon. "Wake up! We have work to do!"

Guilmon's eyes slowly began to open and he pulled his tongue back into his mouth and started snarling.

"That's it! Let's teach this guy a lesson!"

Guilmon rolled over onto his belly and began to push himself back up into a standing position. His pupils had shrunk and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. Takato held his digivice out in front of him, gripping it very tightly in his fingers.

"BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!" screamed Takato.

The digivice began to shake violently and the screen started to glow. Takato and Guilmon braced themselves for the sudden rush of power that they had come to expect.

"So what exactly do you know about this virus?" asked Yamaki. "What are its capabilities."

The DigiDestined, along with their digimon, Kazu, Kenta, Guardromon, Henry, Suzie, Terriermon, Lopmon, Yamaki, and the six programmers had all gathered in the lounge area. Naturally, a few of the DigiDestined were reluctant to allow anyone else to join them in the couches, but they finally agreed to make some more room. Still, there were more than a few people left standing.

"It all goes back to the very start of the artificial life project…" Shibumi said nostalgically. "The project progressed at a far greater rate than we could have imagined. Our success was outstanding, but that made us even more wary. We created the D-Reaper program in order to make sure things didn't get out of hand. Experimenting with artificial life is hardly something we wanted to leave up to chance. Even with the D-Reaper though, we still couldn't be sure of the safety of the project."

"What did you do?" asked Henry.

"We were worried," said Mr. Wong. "If we lost control of the artificial life-forms, there's no telling what kind of damage they could cause to the network. We couldn't be sure how long the D-Reaper would be effective, since they showed an amazing ability to grow and adapt in spite of it. We weren't confident that the D-Reaper's primitive program would be able to deal with our creations."

"It was then that we came up with the plan…" said Babel. "I never liked the idea myself. Everything about it, right down to the name, just told me that program was a bad idea."

"The Genocide Virus," said Izzy.

"It was meant to do exactly what its name suggests," said Shibumi. "Once it was activated and released, it would wipe out any and all digital information in a network, starting with the most complicated programs: the digimon. Basically, it's the most sophisticated abort code in the world."

"Hold on just a minute here," said Tai. "Are you telling us that you guys created the digimon?"

"Well, originally yes," said Daisy. "But our part lasted only a few months. We just came up with the most basic programs, such as a growth and survival instinct, and slapped them together. We eventually began adding individual personalities and abilities, but that was just a short time before the project was shelved. Ever since then, the digimon have been advancing on their own."

"Wait, wait, wait…" said Matt. "Wouldn't that mean that digimon and the whole Digital World aren't any more than twenty years old?"

"Well, kind of," said Curly. "You must understand that the Digital World did not start with digimon. We believe that it has existed since the first digital computer, ENIAC, was brought online. When we started work on the creation of digimon, the Digital World had already taken on a distinctive form."

"You must also understand the nature of the Digital World," said Dolphin. "Until just a few years ago, time in the Digital World moved at a far greater rate than that in the real world. What was twenty years for us was probably thousands of years for them."

"Of course!" said Sora. "When we beat Apocalymon, time in the real and Digital worlds synchronized. Before that, we could spend months in the Digital World and only be gone for an hour or so in our world."

"It's very likely that the destruction of Apocalymon strengthened the connections between the worlds," said Shibumi. "That's what caused the synchronization."

"Back to the matter at hand," said Mr. Wong.

"Of course," said Shibumi. "As I was saying the Genocide Virus was an abort code. We only planned to use it if we completely lost control of the digimon and they began to tear the network apart. We started with a basic self-replicating virus and added in some of the special features that had made the digimon so adaptable, like an instinct for growth and survival and an individual personality. We also added extremely detailed knowledge on digimon and what they are capable of. The virus was then equipped with its weapon: a special program that breaks down any other program into a useless data stream and then deletes the remains."

"Once the program was shut down, we just abandoned it all," said Dolphin. "Digimon and virus alike. They were left on their own."

"But then why didn't the virus go after the digimon?" asked Henry.

"It couldn't," said Curly. "You see, the virus in its natural state is completely harmless. Without a certain patch, it can't access its only weapon. After the project was shut down, we thought we'd never hear another word about it."

"And then twenty years go by and it ends up on our doorstep," said Izzy.

"Honestly, we have no idea of how it could have gotten onto the Internet," said Mr. Wong. "Most of us didn't even know that the digimon had continued to grow and develop until just recently. Shibumi is the only one who might know."

"I wish I could help," said Shibumi. "Unfortunately, it wasn't until years after the project was shut down that I could get a computer that had the capability of accessing the network. It took me even longer to find out where our creations had gone. I never thought for a second that they could be just under my nose. Anyway, I couldn't even begin to piece together what all had occurred in my absence. Everything had changed, so I tried to make a new start of things, and I began learning what I could."

"So what's your story?" asked Yamaki. "How did you meet up with this virus?"

"As we said, it just appeared on the Internet one day," said Willis. "It took over a digiegg that I had been trying to make, and it turned the digimon inside into its own personal servant."

"Used… me…" growled Diaboromon.

"It was eventually beaten, and its plan was foiled," said Willis. "But somehow, it managed to escape to our world, where it was able to take control of one of my digimon. For years it possessed him, until I finally got some help from the other DigiDestined and we put an end to it. Of course, that wasn't really the end. We beat him twice more and here he is yet again."

"You know, it's strange…" said TK. "Every time we faced the virus, he's changed his tactics, and he's been tougher every time. When we first fought him on the Internet, he created a huge number of copies of himself. When we fought him the second time there was only one of him, but no matter what damage we did, he would recover in a few seconds. After that, when he had control of Diaboromon again, it sent millions of Kuramon after us, and then it used them to digivolve beyond the Mega level. Last time we fought it, it just used that overwhelming strength and regenerative ability to very nearly kill us all. The only tactic it used every time was being able to digivolve at an extremely fast pace."

"I have a theory," said Babel. "The two times you fought against Diaboromon, it was on the Internet, right?"

"Yeah," said Matt.

"Well that must mean the virus is only capable of making copies of itself while online," said Babel. "Otherwise I'm sure it would have used the same tactic in the second fight."

"That's good to know," said Rosemon. "But what we really need is a way of doing some real damage to that thing. It always regenerates after our attacks. Is there anything we can do about that?"

"Well…" said Curly. "If I'm right, then it's the ability of the virus to produce copies of itself that allows for that."

"How do you mean?" asked Wargreymon.

"I'm sure you're all aware of certain computer viruses that attack your computer by filling up your hard drive with an infinite number of copies of themselves," said Curly. "That's the same kind of virus that served as the basic design for the Genocide Virus. The ability to reproduce itself quickly and efficiently must be directly linked to its regenerative abilities."

"Yes, that does make a lot of sense," said Izzy. "If we could just find a way to suppress that ability, then we should be able to take down NightmareOmnimon before the end of the night!"

"I have a thought," said Dolphin.

"Oh?" asked Yamaki.

"It's about how the digimon it possesses digivolve so rapidly," said Dolphin. "I think that all the information on digimon that we programmed into the virus could be the reason why it can do such a thing. I wouldn't be surprised if the virus knows more about digimon than most digimon do. It probably know everything there is to know about digivolving, and how to induce it at any time it chooses."

"Of course!" said Mr. Wong. "It all fits together."

"You've certainly outdone yourselves with this thing," said Yamaki. "But as lethal as this thing sounds, it's still looking for something."

"What do you mean?" asked Kenta.

"I've been thinking about why the virus came here," said Yamaki. "After hearing this, I have no choice but to conclude that it's here for you programmers."

"What?" asked Daisy.

"How do you mean?" asked Shibumi.

"It's incomplete," said Yamaki. "Despite all of its power, it still can't access its most powerful weapon. It knows you have the code to make it whole, and it will come for you."

"But we don't HAVE the code anymore!" said Shibumi.

"We were concerned about accidentally unleashing the virus," said Mr. Wong. "In the wrong hands, that thing could devastate every network on the planet. We made only one copy of the code and put it where no one would look."

"Where?!" asked Yamaki.

"Inside the D-Reaper…" said Mr. Wong.

Takato and Guilmon waited for a few moments, but they then realized that nothing was happening. The digivice was at full power and ready to go and Takato and Guilmon were both more than willing, but nothing happened. No bright flash, no fusion of their minds and bodies, no turning into an incredibly powerful Mega digimon, nothing. Nothing at all…

"What happened?!" asked Takato. "Why isn't it working?!"

"I don't know what's wrong!" said Guilmon frantically.

"Well, that was rather anti-climactic," said NightmareOmnimon.

"Darn it!" Takato yelled. "If Guilmon and I could only biomerge, we'd mop the floor with you!"

"Biomerge, you say?" asked NightmareOmnimon.

"Yeah! That's right!" said Takato. "When the two of us join together we make for one SERIOSULY tough Mega digimon!"

"A combination of human and digimon in a single body?" asked NightmareOmnimon. "What a fascinating proposition. It is indeed unfortunate that I can't stay and study the phenomenon in more detail."

"We'd love to give you a demonstration…" Guilmon snapped.

"Sorry, children," said NightmareOmnimon. "You are of no concern to me, but the longer I am distracted with you, the longer I must wait to add in the final code to bring all of these worlds crashing down around me."

"I'll chase you even beyond the ends of the Earth!" Takato shouted. "We aren't done yet!"

"Oh yes you are…" said NightmareOmnimon, suddenly jerking his right arm.

With impressive speed, NightmareOmnimon swung his Infernal Sword out, clipping the corner of the building and tearing away a half-ton of concrete, glass, and metal. Takato, Guilmon, and Calumon all looked up at the debris as it came falling toward them. Guilmon instinctively darted forward and threw himself on top of Takato and Calumon mere moments before the rubble began to pour over the three of them, burying them beneath a heap of twisted metal, broken glass, and concrete slabs.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Hey, everybody! Looking for something a little more… interactive? Do you like digimon? **J**oin me at pub96.ezboard.com/btamersrealmv2 if the answer to b**o**th of these questions **i**s yes! It's a text-based digimo**n** RPG, and it's just getting started so we need **m**ore players. Keep in mind though, that it's not just a game. It's also a gr**e**at place to meet and talk with other Digimon fans. Trust me, I've been a member of several of these places and they can be a lot of fun, (and remember, the first few people who join usually end up with positions as moderators). Hope to see you there.]


	33. Ryo's Shame

[Wow, I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. The past two weeks have been really hectic for me and I can only expect it to get rougher. Nevertheless, I promise I'll do my best to make it up to my faithful readers. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this latest installment…]

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"So is there any way that we can keep NightmareOmnimon from regenerating?" asked Izzy.

"It's hard to tell," said Shibumi. "It all depends on how much it has evolved since we designed it. Without some solid information on it, there's no way to be sure."

"Hey, hold on just a minute…" said Izzy, reaching into a bag that he had been carrying with him since they had all left their own world. "There just might be a way."

Izzy then pulled out his trusty, old pineapple laptop, the one that Gennai had modified long ago to up-link with the digivices. Izzy set it down on the table and flipped it on.

"What are you thinking, Iz?" asked Tai.

"Just gimme a sec," said Izzy, waiting for his computer to finish booting up.

Izzy waited impatiently for the next few seconds until his computer was up and running. He then grabbed his digivice and plugged it into the adapter on the keyboard and began to access the digivice's memory files. Everyone just watched Izzy working at his computer with the same voracity that the DigiDestined had come to expect of him. A brief time later, after searching through page after page of meaningless data, Izzy finally came to what he was looking for.

"Bingo!" said Izzy.

"What is it?" asked Henry.

"This is the data my digivice collected during the fight with NightmareOmnimon," Izzy explained. "I think that if we can analyze it, we just might be able to learn something from it."

"What exactly?" asked Yamaki.

"To be honest, I don't have a clue," said Izzy. "But right now, it's the best chance we've got. If we go back into battle with that guy again without any new information we'll get slaughtered!"

"Hang on a minute, Izzy," said Tai. "I didn't know our digivices could keep data on our fights like that."

"Well yeah," said Izzy. "In addition to the digimon we've encountered, they store more general data in their memory banks for forty-eight hours. I can access that data with my laptop, but up until now I've never found a use for that feature."

"There's still no guarantee that it will help us," said Daisy. "Come on, if we plug your computer into our network we could do more with the data."

"Of course," said Izzy.

Izzy stood up with his computer and followed the six programmers to one of the cubicles to get to work.

"So, guys," said Tai. "Is it just me, or does it seem like Izzy always know more than he tells us?"

"I think he just gave up trying after he noticed that we don't listen anyway," said Mimi.

"Maybe it would be good to listen more carefully from now on," said Joe.

"Good thinking," said Sora.

"Hey, is anyone else a little warm?" asked TK.

"Boy, I thought I was the only one who could feel it," said Kari.

"They really should turn on the air conditioning," said Cody.

By that time, things had grown quiet at the Akiyama residence. Shou had fallen asleep in the midst of doing his homework, so Ayaka had brought him into his and Ryo's room and put him in his bed before retiring to her own room. Mr. Akiyama was in his own room, still wide-awake. Monodramon had gone to the living room and had fallen asleep on the couch. Ken, Davis, and Ryo, who had donned a red, wool turtleneck, were talking quietly in Ryo's room, careful not to wake the sleeping Shou. Ken and Ryo sat on Ryo's bed, while Davis leaned against the wall.

"My memories are still pretty blurry," said Ken. "I can only remember bits and pieces of what happened back then. I'm sorry."

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about," said Ryo. "The fact of the matter is, my memories aren't exactly in pristine condition."

"What? How do you mean?" asked Ken.

"Well… after you and I managed to take down Milleniumon, we got separated," Ryo began. "After that, I wound up in a series of adventures, each of which involved going up against Milleniumon in stronger and stronger forms. Somehow, after all was said and done, I wound up here, right back in my own world. I'm not sure how it happened, but my brain was completely fried by that point. My memories were scrambled. I couldn't have picked you out of a lineup. It was out of sheer luck that I ran into my family. Just as things started to get normal again, and my memories began to fill themselves in, Monodramon came barging into my life again. I still couldn't remember who he was, but he's been a good friend to me for a long time now, and I believe what he's told me about the past. But to make a long story even shorter, I ended up spending a few months in the Digital World to keep Monodramon, or rather Cyberdramon, from tearing everything he sees apart."

"Cyberdramon?" asked Davis.

"Monodramon's Ultimate form," Ryo explained. "He's extremely wild; he won't even listen to me when there's a chance for a good fight. I can't really explain why his personality changes so much when he digivolves."

"Have you tried asking him?" asked Ken.

"Of course I have," said Ryo. "But whenever I do, he always gets evasive and he changes the subject, like there's something he doesn't want me to know. I usually just let it drop after that."

"Weird," said Davis.

"So Ken, what have you been up to?" asked Ryo.

"Well…things were pretty strange for a while," Ken hesitated. "But then I joined the rest of the DigiDestined, and everything has been great ever since."

"Okay, sure," Ryo said suspiciously. "It's perfectly alright if you'd rather not say."

"No! I'm not—" started Ken. "…Thanks for understanding."

"Hey, it's no big deal," said Ryo. "Sometimes things happen that we'd prefer to forget about."

"So now you're hanging out with these… tamers was it?" asked Davis.

"Yeah," said Ryo. "I met up with them while I was in the Digital World. Without them, I'd still be stuck there."

"What were they doing there?" asked Davis.

"Looking for a friend," said Ryo. "They finally found him too, and not a second too soon. If we'd been just a little bit late, we would all be just another snack for the D-Reaper."

"The D-Reaper?" asked Davis. "But I thought—"

"So now what's happening?" Ken quickly interjected.

"Well, I imagine the Sovereigns are still trying to fight it back," said Ryo. "I just wish there was a way to know how it's going. Uh… could you guys excuse me for a sec?"

"Sure," said Ken.

"I'll be right back," said Ryo, quickly standing up and heading out into the living room, being sure to shut the door behind him.

"What do you suppose that was all of a sudden?" asked Ken.

"I don't know. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom or something," said Davis. "That's not the point. When the rest of us met up with the Sovereigns back in Geno's base, they told us all about this 'D-Reaper' and how it was defeated MONTHS ago!"

"I know all about that," said Ken.

"What? How could you know?"

"That virus may be smart, but he's also extremely pompous. While I was serving under him, he let the whole plan slip out, including a few tidbits about the D-Reaper and the important role it would play should his primary plan fall apart. Now that it has, it's very clear why he has brought us to this place… and time."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Davis, trying to whisper. "Are you trying to tell me that we're in the PAST?!"

"Exactly," said Ken. "The virus needs something that only the D-Reaper can provide, and since the D-Reaper has already been destroyed in our time, it had to move to a time where the D-Reaper still existed. I'm still not entirely sure how it managed to accomplish such a feat."

"Okay…" said Davis. "So, what happens after it gets whatever it needs from the D-Reaper? What is it trying to do?"

"That was the part he kept very quiet about," said Ken. "And now that he's been abandoned by the Vanguard, I'd say he's gone off the deep end. There's no telling what he'll do now."

"Well, if he's here for the D-Reaper, then shouldn't he head for it right away? Why waist any more time, especially since we can't even find him."

"I think there's a more pressing question. Ryo said that the D-Reaper was fighting against the Sovereigns in the Digital World, so why would NightmareOmnimon come here?"

After closing the door behind him, Ryo stood silent for a moment.

"What is it, sis?" asked Ryo after a few seconds.

"How did you know I was here?" asked Ayaka from where she stood in the shadows.

"When you spend a few months fighting for your life, you learn to pay close attention to your surroundings."

"Sorry…" she said. "I hope you don't think I was spying on you and your friends."

"That's sure what it looked like," said Ryo.

"Again, I'm sorry," said Ayaka. "It's just… I missed you, Ryo. We all missed you, especially dad."

"Could've fooled me," said Ryo. "The very second I saw him he was angry."

"Of course he's angry," said Ayaka. "You should expect it by now. Every time you disappear, it feels like you're gone and you're never coming back, and then one day you just show up at the front door again, usually completely mixed up."

"It's not like I plan it… every time," said Ryo. "Besides, with the way he acts toward Monodramon he should be glad I'm not gone even more."

"That's just like you, Ryo," said Ayaka, showing more and more sign of being upset. "You care so much more about your friends than you do your family. I just don't get you."

"I don't need to take this," said Ryo, starting to walk away.

"There you go again," said Ayaka. "Run away, it's what you're best at. It's the same thing you've done ever since mom left."

Ryo froze in his tracks, his back turned to his sister. He looked hurt by that last sentence, but he didn't respond.

"You're always saying how you can't help disappearing. I think you actually LIKE getting away from here, from us."

Ryo tried to keep himself calm, but it wasn't working very well.

"Listen to me, Ryo. I'm your older sister. I can't let you do this to yourself. I can't let you just keep on running away from your real problems for your whole life."

"I'm not running," Ryo choked out. "I have to keep fighting. I have to make sure everyone, both human and digimon, is safe."

"Sooner or later, the fighting has to stop; when it's all over, you'll still have the same problems you've been trying to ignore your whole life."

Ryo was silent for a few seconds.

"You don't have any idea what you're talking about," Ryo finally said.

"Urgh!" groaned the increasingly frustrated Ayaka. "You are so much like dad that it's scary!"

"Oh please! The two of us couldn't POSSIBLY be more different!"

"Maybe on the surface, but I have never met anyone more stubborn than you two are!"

"That does it, I'm gone! Tell Davis and Ken to get out here. I'll wake Monodramon up."

"And there you go once again! Ryo Akiyama: defender of the weak! Champion of justice! Guardian of all life! You can put on your little act of being 'Mr. Perfect' for your friends, and they might fall for it, but sooner or later you'll end up right back here again, on the front step, like a lost puppy."

"Okay, okay! I admit it! I'm trying to escape this… this HOLE!" said Ryo a bit louder than he should have. "But aren't you and dad always saying the same thing?! You have these plans of going off to college somewhere! He thinks that life will be perfect once he gets just the right job! You both want out of here just as much as I do! The only difference is that I've found a way out that can actually work, and you two are jealous of it!"

"Jealous?! Asked Ayaka incredulously. "Fine then! Go! See if I care! I hope you get everything you want living with those… those… MONSTERS!"

Ayaka stormed off into her room. She almost never showed such passion as she was showing now, but she just couldn't help it. Whether Ryo knew it or not, she loved him and her whole family very deeply. For eight years, ever since she was just nine, she had been trying to keep the family together. Despite all her efforts though, they were drifting apart. Ryo was usually the source of the tension. The first time he left home was when he was just six, not long after their mother had left. At that time he ran just a few blocks away, but as time went on his excursions took him further away and for longer periods of time, until he ended up taking trips to some far off dimension that only a select few could even reach. Also contributing to the troubles was Monodramon. He was perfectly sweet in his Rookie form, but still, their father had no great affection for him, or any digimon for that matter. When he'd heard about Ryo winning the digimon card game tournament the previous year he was more angry than proud. Recently though, Ayaka's plans to go off to school seemed to be hurting the family just as much as Ryo and Monodramon. She was a bright girl, very talented. She'd managed to get a pretty good scholarship to a school in Osaka, but she wasn't even sure she'd go. She felt that if she left then the three boys would only grow apart even quicker. More than anything, she was worried about Shou. He'd always depended on her like a mother.

Now alone again in the nearly pitch-black living room, Ryo leaned back against the wall and sunk slowly to the floor. The only noise was Monodramon's gentle snoring from the couch. Ryo was in quite a state. Everything that Ayaka had said hit home, but he was too proud to admit it. Ryo slowly curled his legs up and rested his chin on his knees with his back firmly against the wall. He wrapped his arms around the front of his legs, holding himself tight. Ryo would never let anyone see him like this; he couldn't even stand seeing himself like this. It was pathetic. He was supposed to be the strong one, the brave one, the one who always knew what to do and say. But now he felt like a small, scared child.

"Dammit…" Ryo muttered under his breath. "How does it always come back here, to this point? Why can't it ever get any easier?"

Ryo lowered his head, burying his eyes in his knees. He could feel tears began to form, but he held them back. His iron will would not let him cry, not ever. It agitated Ryo to no end. With almost anyone in the world, Ryo could perfectly reflect every single positive trait one could have; he was brave, caring, compassionate, noble, and very friendly. With his family, though, he was brash and irritable. When he was all alone like this, he could feel those two aspects of his personality crushing down on him. That's why he tried to get away from them as much as possible. Deep down, Ryo knew that he hated the person he was when he was around them, and the only way to get rid of that person was to never be around his family.

Ryo had come to a decision. He pushed himself up off the wall and back into a standing position. He closed his eyes for a moment and slowed his breathing in order to center his thoughts. After a few seconds, he was once again perfectly calm. He walked swiftly over to Monodramon and shook him awake. Monodramon snorted suddenly at the surprise of being awoken as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He rolled onto his back and looked up at Ryo.

"Ryo?" asked Monodramon, still a bit dazed. "What's going on?"

"Shh…" Ryo hushed the digimon. "I'll explain in a second. Just keep quiet and wait here."

Monodramon hopped down off the couch and stretched as Ryo briskly walked to his bedroom where he opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped inside to find Ken and Davis apparently waiting for him.

"Hey Ryo, we have a few questions for you," said Ken.

"Sorry, we can't talk now," said Ryo. "Grab your stuff. We're heading out."

"What?" asked Ken and Davis together.

"I'm taking you guys to meet your friends, and then I'm outta' here."

"Where are you going?" asked Davis.

"The DigiWorld of course," said Ryo. "I've made a decision. I can't just sit back and relax while the Sovereigns and all the digimon are fighting for their lives. Monodramon and I are going back to help. Now hurry, we've got to go."

"Um, alright," said Davis.

A few minutes later, Ryo, Ken, Davis, and Monodramon had all gathered near the front door to the tiny apartment. They all had their stuff together. Ryo had donned a backpack with a few vital supplies for his approaching trip.

"Let's get going," said Ryo.

Just as Ryo reached for the doorknob, the phone rang. Not wanting the phone to awaken anyone else, Ryo quickly ran over to it and picked it up.

"Hello?" asked Ryo.

__

"Ryo Akiyama!" shouted a female voice on the other end. _"You better get your heroic butt over here right now!"_

"Rika?" asked Ryo curiously.

__

"Of course it's me!" replied the voice. _"We've got a big problem! It's Takato!"_

"I'm on my way," said Ryo.

He hung up the phone.


	34. Tumultuous Time Talk

"What's wrong, Jack?" asked Cody.

"Nothing," said Jack. "I'm fine."

Things had begun to grow dull back at the Shinjuku Skyscrapers. Despite the coffee and comfortable couches, most of the DigiDestined had begun to show their fatigue. Izzy was naturally working with the programmers, but everyone else was just sitting around. Tai and Matt were talking with Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon while Willis tried to get to know Diaboromon a little better, a task made difficult by Diaboromon's limited vocabulary. Mimi, Michael, and Rosemon seemed to be hitting it of nicely with Henry and his little sister. Kari, TK, and their digimon were all over near the couches while Yolei and Sora paced nervously about. Valkyrimon was taking it easy along with Terriermon and Lopmon. Jack and Bahadramon were seemingly isolated from the others, sticking to a corner of the small lobby and only speaking to each other, and even then only a few words passed between them.

"Okay," said Cody. "But if there's anything bothering you, I still think you should tell us."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Jack, a little snidely.

Cody looked slightly hurt as he backed away and returned to the group.

"Well that wasn't very nice," Bahadramon said.

"Look, there's no time for 'nice' right now," said Jack. "We have more important things to worry about."

"NightmareOmnimon…" Bahadramon snarled.

"He's out there…" said Jack. "So why are we in _here_? We should be looking for him, not waiting for him to show up!"

"Just relax," said Bahadramon. "He'll come soon enough."

"Sure he will," said Jack. "After he's gotten even stronger."

"Maybe," said Bahadramon.

"Definitely! Come on Bahadramon! You and I have to go after him, even if it means doing it alone."

"Don't be stupid! We'd get slaughtered and you know it!"

"Maybe."

"Definitely!"

"Alright, alright!" said the slightly frustrated Jack. "So we don't stand a chance on our own! But being with all the others doesn't seem to have helped us out so far!"

"Sure it has! If it weren't for them, we'd be long dead!"

"Well we haven't gotten any closer to actually winning."

"I think not dying is a big step toward winning," said Bahadramon.

"Whatever," said Jack, turning away from his partner.

"Come on Jack!" said Bahadramon. "We can't fight him as we are now! Even with all of us in our Mega forms, we were still losing. We need to have a plan before we try to take him on again."

"But we don't stand a chance against him," said Jack. "NightmareOmnimon doesn't have any weaknesses. How are we supposed to beat something like that?"

"He does have one weakness," said Bahadramon. "Now, he's mortal. He's fallen out of favor with those 'Vanguard' guys, so they won't help him out any more. Thanks to Protomon, he can't escape his body! If we kill him this time, that'll be it! It's all over!"

"Just one problem with that," said Jack. "I'm not too clear on the part where we kill him."

"Hey, we'll do it," said Bahadramon. "I think we've seen how well we all work together."

"I hope your right," said Jack, slowly beginning to walk away from Bahadramon.

"Me too…" muttered Bahadramon under his breath.

"Wow!" gasped Davis.

"Most impressive," Ken agreed.

The both looked up in awe of Monodramon's Ultimate form: Cyberdramon. He was a truly fearsome-looking digimon with a menacing air about him. He kneeled low to the ground with his back arched and his crimson wings spread wide so as to allow the three humans aboard.

"There'll be time to ogle him later," said Ryo, scrambling up Cyberdramon's back. "Right now we've got to get a move on."

"Of course," said Davis.

Ryo extended his hand to the boys and helped them up one by one. Once all were in position, Cyberdramon leaped into the air and rebounded off the side of the nearby apartment building to gain some altitude. Once he had managed to clear the rooftops of the surrounding structures he caught an updraft with his wings and began to soar higher and higher. Very soon the entire city was stretched out below them.

"What a view…" said Ken.

"So Ryo," Davis began. "Where does this girl live?"

"Uh…" Ryo stalled as he realized that he had missed out on one key detail. "I… don't know."

Ken and Davis just sweatdropped.

"So… where were you planning on taking us?" asked Ken.

"Well…" Ryo thought for a moment. "I've got it! Cyberdramon, can you sense where Renamon is?"

"I can smell a strong opponent from miles away," Cyberdramon snarled. "Of course I can find her."

"Well that's perfect!" said Ryo. "Follow that smell!"

"Right away!" said Cyberdramon as he flung himself forward.

"Oh MAN!" groaned Matt, back in the Shinjuku Skyscrapers. "Would someone PLEASE see about that heater?!"

"I know," groaned Tai as he fanned himself with a magazine. "I'm dying here!"

"Why is it so hot?" asked Sora.

"Several dozen gun turrets…" Metalgarurumon sighed as he lay on the floor. "Chrome digizoid armor… A full complement of missiles that can freeze an enemy solid… You'd think I'd at least get a fan or something."

Izzy was of course far too engrossed in his work to be concerned with the heat. He and the six programmers were all pouring over the data that Izzy's digivice had collected from the fight with NightmareOmnimon. Yamaki was watching over the collection of minds as they worked fiercely. Thus far, nothing truly useful had made itself apparent, but that could change at any moment.

"Hey! Look at this!" Mr. Wong cried out.

All the others immediately left their own workstations and crowded around Mr. Wong, their eyes fixed on his computer screen.

"What is it, Tao?" asked Babel.

"Check it out," said Mr. Wong. "Do you see this sudden change right here?"

"What is that?" asked Daisy.

"It seems familiar," said Yamaki, taking off his sunglasses and looking closer. "It's just like the data I've collected from my study of the bio-emergence process."

"It's a phase warp," said Izzy.

"A what?" asked Curly.

"It's a dimensional distortion," said Izzy. "It causes multiple worlds to overlap, usually for only short periods of time."

"So digimon must be using these 'phase warps' to bio-emerge," said Yamaki.

"I don't know what all this bio-emerging stuff is," said Izzy. "But I know a phase warp when I see one. Here, let me show you."

Mr. Wong got out of the chair and Izzy took his place. Izzy quickly called up a 3-D graphing program designed for just this kind of data interpretation. In a few seconds, he had a working model of the phase warp graphed.

"Hey, that's…" said Mr. Wong.

"Juggernaut," said Yamaki.

"Or at least something very much like it," said Shibumi. "But it looks like this 'phase warp' that the virus managed to come up with is far stronger than Juggernaut, and it's designed to act like a gateway instead of a means of destruction."

"But why would anyone need a gateway this strong?" asked Izzy. "That thing was nearly powerful enough to crush all of us, including NightmareOmnimon."

"I'll bet he needed the extra strength to make it all the way here," said Shibumi. "From what I've learned, the Digital World has four quadrants: east, west, north, and south. Our world is connected to the south quadrant."

"And my world connects to the east," Izzy interjected.

"Right," said Shibumi. "While connections between a quadrant and the corresponding Earth may be common, it's almost impossible to form a direct link between quadrants and Earths that don't match up. If NightmareOmnimon wanted to come to our quadrant…"

"…Then he would need a much more powerful phase warp!" said Yamaki.

"Yeah, but not THIS powerful," said Mr. Wong. "C'mon, just look at this thing!"

"You think there was more to this than just transportation?" asked Daisy.

"Of course!" said Izzy. "When we all talked with the Sovereigns, we learned about this 'D-Reaper' that NightmareOmnimon wants so badly. D-Reaper was supposed to be destroyed months ago… which means we're in the past."

"Can these phase warps actually do that?" asked Yamaki.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised," said Shibumi. "I've tried studying such phenomena, and my findings are incredible. Weak ones only seem capable of transporting data in between the different levels of reality, like the real and digital world. The very strongest can distort time itself, but they are very rare and anything bigger than an electron that tries to move through them is instantly destroyed. I suppose that there might be level at which a warp that can distort time just slightly but still be within human tolerances."

"Hold on," said Mr. Wong. "Look at this here."

Mr. Wong reached around Izzy and pulled up another section of the data, which the digivice had been collection more recently.

"What are you looking at, Janyu?" asked Yamaki. "I thought we were only interested in the fight."

"I knew something was weird about this, and now I think I know why," said Mr. Wong. "Look."

Another 3-D model popped up, this one of the park where the DigiDestined had first arrived.

"This is everything within the digivice's detection radius," said Mr. Wong. "Now watch…"

He clicked the mouse and the entire model was suddenly distorted, but only for an instant. In a moment it had gone from normal to completely deformed and back to normal again.

"What was that?" asked Izzy.

"Evidence of your phase warp," said Mr. Wong. "It would seem that even though it's dissipated for us, it has left a residual trace behind. That residual warp is sending out a distortion wave every few minutes that moves across our world instantaneously. I suspect that the phase warp is so unstable that these waves are expressions of the warp on a much larger scale. If this is true, the phase warp may be causing changes in spatial positions, dimensional positions, or even temporal positions every time it surges up like that. Every time it hits it could be causing changes to anything, anywhere in the timeline."

"I see," said Shibumi. "So that warp was probably causing changes here even before these children arrived."

"Right," said Mr. Wong. "It's possible that because of this phase warp I decided on tea this morning instead of coffee, or someone in South America might stub their toe three years from now, when they might have not done so without it."

"Or there are much worse possibilities," said Daisy. "It might change something small three hundred years ago and we could suddenly find ourselves in the middle of World War III. We have no way of knowing"

"But who's to say that's not where we're supposed to be?" asked Babel. "Maybe this warp has actually changed us all completely from who we might have been and the world we might have lived in already?"

"For now, we'll assume everything as at least close to the way it should happen," said Yamaki. "It's conceivable that the Tamers might still be stuck in the Digital World without the warp, or that Shibumi might still be out in the country, or that we all might have gone down to greet the Tamers instead of just Janyu, the childrens' parents, and myself. This doesn't change the fact that the virus is still out there. Now it just means that we have to destroy it as quickly as possible before this phase warp destroys us."

"But there's still another problem!" said Izzy. "We have no way of knowing whether or—"

"EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA!!!" screamed Mimi.

"What IS that stuff?!" yelled Tai.

"I don't know but it just ate through the coffee table!" shouted Joe.

Izzy, the programmers and Yamaki all rushed out to see what was the matter, but they still couldn't believe their eyes when they reached the others. Some sort of red gelatin was flowing from the air ducts and seemed to devour whatever it touched. Most notably, it was giving off an incredible amount of heat.

"It's the D-Reaper!" yelled Henry, who had been backed against the wall by the strange fluid.

"How did it get here?!" shouted Terriermon from atop Henry's head..

"Henwy! I'm scared!" Suzie cried as she clutched her brother's vest.

"Don't worry Suzie!" Lopmon called from the other side of the D-Reaper river. "I'll save you!"

"It's everywhere!" shouted TK.

"Where's it coming from?!" yelped Cody.

"Behind!" shouted Yamaki.

The programmers and Izzy quickly turned their heads and saw that their workstations and almost everything behind them was rapidly being engulfed by more of the fluid.

"Must escape!" shouted Diaboromon.

"There's no time!" yelled Magnadramon.

"Hurry!" yelled Wargreymon.

As this went on, Cyberdramon finally reached the place he had been searching for. He landed in the garden at the center of Rika's house, which could easily be described as lavish. All of the lights were strangely on, especially considering how late it was getting. Cyberdramon kneeled to allow his passengers off his back.

"Finally," said Ryo as he slid to the ground after Ken and Davis.

"So did this girl say anything about what happened to this friend of yours?" asked Davis.

"No," said Ryo. "But it's got to be bad."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Ken.

"Let's just say she wouldn't have called me if it wasn't," said Ryo.

"There you are!" shouted a female voice.

They all turned to look at the girl. Ken and Davis recognized her as being the one from the park who they'd spoken with briefly.

"What's up?" asked Ryo with an odd smile.

"Sorry 'Mr. Legend' but there's no glory to gain here," said Rika. "I just thought you might want to know what happened."

"Well are you gonna' tell me?" asked Ryo.

"I'll think about it," Rika said coolly.

"Well take your time," Ryo said with even more confidence.

Ken and Davis weren't quite sure what to make of this scene. They could only describe it as a showdown, watching the two opponents stare at each other. And yet, the tension seemed more playful than hostile. Finally, one of them blinked.

"Alright, you win," said Ryo with mock disappointment. "But I really do want to know what happened to Takato."

"Right this way," said Rika, beaming with self-assurance after her victory.

Rika turned and began walking down to one of the rooms and Ryo began to follow close behind her. Cyberdramon, Ken, and Davis came along a little farther back.

"So what was that?" Davis whispered.

"Beats me," said Ken. "But I think Rika won."

"Unless Ryo let her win," said Davis.

"Hmm… that's a good point," said Ken. "I think we'd be better off just following them to where their friend is."

"Sounds like a plan," said Davis.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[There you go, another chapter. I'm sure many of you have noticed the discrepancies between my description of the events and they way they actually happened in the series, and I've now explained how that came to be. Anyway, I'm still pretty swamped with work, but rest assured that I will never stop work on this series altogether. Until next time…]


	35. When it Rains it Pours

A few moments later, Ken, Davis, Ryo, Cyberdramon, and Rika arrived at Rika's room, where Rika's mother and grandmother as well as Renamon were already gathered. The uninjured Calumon was fast asleep on a table, his feet twitching as though he was dreaming about chasing something. In the middle of the room lay Takato and Guilmon, using Rika's bed. They both looked badly injured. They were covered in bandages and taped-on gauze strips, all of which seemed to be doing a good job of soaking up the blood.

"Jeez, what happened?" Ryo asked quietly so as not to disturb those who were resting. "It looks like a building fell on them."

"You're not that far off," said Rika's mother. "When we got to them, the digimon was still buried under a pile of rubble."

"I think we'd better take this from the beginning," said Ryo.

"Okay, I'll explain," said Rika. "About an hour ago, we were all sitting around here when the phone rang. I answered it, but I didn't hear anyone on the other end. I almost hung up when I heard Takato's voice. It was weak and hard to hear at first, but then Calumon came on as clear as a bell. I asked him what was wrong, but he was completely confused as usual. All I could get out of him was the fact that something very bad had happened and a street number."

"I immediately headed out while Rika, her mother and grandmother got into their car," said Renamon. "I arrived at the location that Calumon had told us to come to in just a few minutes, but when I got there I was horrified. An incredibly destructive force had been through there very recently; I could still smell its foul odor. The nearby train had been sliced apart and the cut power lines had turned off power in most of the neighborhood. I then noticed a large heap of cement blocks, broken glass, and twisted metal on the street. Covered in dirt and dust and jutting from the debris, I could just barely make out the form of Takato, or rather his head and right arm. The rest of him was still buried. By the time I reached him he was unconscious. Calumon stood by a payphone on the other side of the street, but he approached as soon as he saw me. I wasted no time and began diligently uncovering Takato."

"We arrived a few minutes later," Rika's grandmother chimed in. "Renamon here had already managed to free Takato from the rubble and was trying to help that dinosaur out. We all helped to uncover him and we got both of them and that little white fellow to the car. Of course we headed right for the nearest hospital, but their power was out and they were already far too busy with injured people, many of whom were worse off than Takato was. We did manage to get to talk to a doctor for a few minutes, and he was very helpful. My, my… he was very handsome. He was tall with dark hair that had the slightest traces of graying around the temples. He was very distinguished looking. Oh my…"

"Anyway," said Rika. "He told us Takato didn't look like he was in any immediate danger, and we should just bandage him up and bring him in tomorrow morning."

"It's been a harrowing few months around here," said Rika's grandmother.

"You can say that again," said Renamon.

"Well I'm just glad he's alright," Ryo sighed.

"I wouldn't go that far," said Rika. "He's still pretty beat up. Same for Guilmon."

"So do you have any idea what might have happened?" asked Ryo.

"Hard to say," said Rika, a bit sadly. "The only one we've been able to talk to is Calumon, and he wasn't even making sense. The little guy's been scared stiff."

"Still, whatever he said might be useful," said Ryo.

"Alright," said Rika. "He just kept on babbling about some kind of big scary digimon that attacked them."

"Hold it," said Ken. "A big scary digimon? Sound like anyone we know, Davis?"

"Do you think it's him?" asked Davis. "I mean, there are a lot of scary digimon out there, and any one of them would be considered big next to Calumon there."

"True," said Ken. "But how many of them do you suppose there are sneaking around the city and destroying whatever gets in their way?"

"You've got a good point there," said Davis.

"So you think it's that NightmareOmnimon guy you're looking for?" asked Ryo.

"It's a pretty safe bet," said Ken.

"Then we'd better get going," said Ryo with a very determined look on his face.

"Huh?" asked Davis.

"You want to come with us?" asked Ken.

"Of course," said Ryo. "I'm not about to let this guy get away with hurting one of my friends. Besides, from what you've told me you could use all the help you can get."

"Count me in too," said Rika.

"And me," said Renamon.

"What?" asked Ryo. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm dead serious," said Rika. "Do you actually think I'd let you take all the credit, Mr. Hero? If we're going to fight this thing, we'd better do it all together."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" said Davis. "With you guys helping us out, NightmareOmnimon is goin' down HARD!"

Rika rolled her eyes. "Oh great. Just my luck that I have to work with the king of all goggle heads."

"Goggle head?" asked Davis.

"Forget about it," said Rika. "Let's just move."

"We should head to the park first," said Ken. "We'll need Imperialdramon and GrandKuwagamon in case NightmareOmnimon decides to make an appearance."

"Naturally," said Cyberdramon. "But now I suppose you'll want me to carry you all."

"Oh I wouldn't even hear of it," said Rika's mother. "I'll drive you kids. Mom? Could you watch over Takato?"

"Of course dear," said Rika's grandmother. "Just be careful out there."

"No way mom," said Rika. "If this NightmareOmnimon guy is running around out there then it's way to dangerous."

"It's just as dangerous for you as it is for me," said her mother. "I won't let you go out there, at least not alone. I might have to accept the fact that you hang out with creatures from another world, but I can't have you throwing yourself into unnecessary danger."

"Your mother is right," said Renamon. "A car would be much quicker than going on foot. I'm afraid that Cyberdramon couldn't carry all of you at once."

"Watch what you say, fox," Cyberdramon snapped. "I could carry this whole room."

"Down boy, I didn't mean anything by it," said Renamon.

"Don't be offended dude, but I wouldn't mind having a nice padded seat in a car to sit on," said Davis. "That hide of yours is pretty rough on the ol' keister."

"A true fighter has more important concerns than his own rear-end," Cyberdramon growled.

"As stimulating as this conversation is, we really should be moving," said Ryo. "I don't think we have much time to spare when it comes to dealing with our new enemy."

"Right," said Rika.

Back at the Shinjuku Skyscrapers, everyone had found themselves in a bad position. Split apart from each other and surrounded by the chaotic mass that was the D-Reaper, they were all looking for any means of escape they could manage. Wargreymon, Henry, Suzie, Yamaki, Lopmon, and Terriermon were trapped against a wall as the D-Reaper closed in from all sides.

"Tai! TAI!" shouted Wargreymon, looking around frantically for his partner.

"He's somewhere else!" said Henry. "Let's just be concerned with our own survival for the moment!"

"D-Reaper or not, I'm going to find Tai!"

"Are you NUTS?!" shouted Terriermon. "If you touch that stuff we'll be scraping Wargreymon bits off the walls for weeks!"

"I can't let this thing hurt Tai!" shouted Wargreymon.

"Henwy make it stop!" Suzie cried.

"Don't cry, Suzie," said Lopmon. "We'll find a way out!"

"Wargreymon, we have to get to safety!" Yamaki insisted. "Once that's done, you can come back for your tamer!"

"Alright, fine. Just stand back!" Wargreymon shouted as he braced himself.

Wargreymon threw himself into the wall, blowing through the spackling with ease. What he encountered on the other side was hardly what he had hoped for though. What he met with was nothing more than another room that was similarly completely engulfed in the D-Reaper.

"Oh great, now what?!" asked Henry.

"Uh… moumantai*?" suggested Terriermon.

"This is not the time!" Henry shouted.

"There's got to be some way out of this!" Yamaki snarled.

Wargreymon smirked and lifted his claws up over his head. "Well, you know what they say. The shortest path is always the most direct. Tornado!"

Wargreymon began to spin like a top, going faster and faster with every second. He kicked up a strong wind that not only threatened to throw his companions back away from him, but also managed to stall the D-Reaper's progression inward.

"Now take THIS!" Wargreymon yelled.

Wargreymon launched himself forward directly into the mass of red fluid. He burrowed directly into the D-Reaper, throwing it out of his path with ease and leaving a pathway through the chaos for his companions.

"Well I suppose that works," said Henry.

"Aw heck, I could've done THAT," said Terriermon.

"Somehow, I doubt that," said Lopmon.

"Hurry! We won't have much time!" said Yamaki.

The five of them immediately took off after Wargreymon. Elsewhere though, TK, Kari, Matt, Sora, Tai, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon were cornered in the stairwell leading down.

"There's just not enough room in here to attack!" said Seraphimon.

"Come on! Sure there is!" said Matt.

"Not if everyone wants to stay alive," said Magnadramon.

"Well we can't just stand here!" said Sora.

"There's got to be an some way to escape," said TK.

"You know, I just might have one…" said Seraphimon.

Seraphimon turned to the wall right beside them and formed a fist with his gauntlet-covered hand. He pulled back and then thrust his fist forward, striking a powerful blow that tore through the brick wall. Seraphimon removed his hand and Matt went up to the hole to look through.

"There's some of that D-Reaper on the other side," said Matt. "But it's a big room, and it'd be a lot easier to work in than this place!"

"Right!" said Magnadramon and Seraphimon.

The two digimon immediately set about smashing their way through the wall toward freedom. Back at the park, all of the other Mega digimon sat around in a circle. Preciomon and Vikemon eyed each other closely. Their stares were cold, their faces emotionless. Both squinted slightly. A bead of sweat rolled down Vikemon's temple.

"Got any…threes?" asked Vikemon.

"Um…" Preciomon hesitated, looking at the standard-sized cards in his flippers.

"Stop stalling," said Vikemon.

"Um… I can't tell," said Preciomon.

"You can't tell?" asked Vikemon.

"Well can you tell what hand you've got?" asked Preciomon.

"Not as such, no," said Vikemon.

"I told you this wouldn't work," said GrandKuwagamon. "Even holding these things is hard enough, especially when all you've got are giant pincers."

"I hear that," said HerculesKabuterimon.

Just then, the digimon heard a group of people approaching.

"Quick! Hide!" said Imperialdramon.

"Where?!" asked all the others.

"Oh… yeah…" said Imperialdramon.

Just then someone emerged from the trees. It was Davis.

"Hey guys!" Davis shouted. "I found them!"

"What are you doing back here?" asked Imperialdramon.

"We've got trouble," said Davis.

Soon the rest of Davis' little group emerged.

"Come on, we've got to find the others," said Ken.

"Is it NightmareOmnimon?" asked GrandKuwagamon.

"Who else?" asked Ken.

"Hold it!" said Cyberdramon, sniffing the air. "I sense something."

"It's familiar," said Renamon.

"What is?" asked Ryo.

"It's…" started Renamon.

"The D-Reaper!" said Cyberdramon.

"What?!" asked Rika. "That's impossible! The D-Reaper is in the Digital World, remember?"

"No, it's out there," said Renamon. "It's so pungent that I'm surprised all of you can't smell it!"

"This is really bad," said Ryo. "Come on! We have to hurry!"

Meanwhile, Metalgarurumon, Rosemon, Diaboromon, Valkyrimon, and Guardromon stood on the roof of a building right next to the skyscrapers with the programmers, Mimi, Izzy, Yolei, Willis, and Cody. The streets below were already flooding with the D-Reaper's ghastly form and running civilians. The red glow of the D-Reaper was basking everything in its ominous light.

"Do you think the others escaped?" asked Valkyrimon.

"I sure hope so," said Daisy.

"How could this have happened?" asked Cody.

"My tamer is still in there!" said Guardromon.

"We've got to do something!" said Mimi.

"Hurry! There may be little time to spare!" said Metalgarurumon.

"Diaboromon, I want you to go save the others!" said Willis. "Don't let the D-Reaper hurt them!"

"Immediately…" said Diaboromon.

"Wait!" shouted Mr. Wong, pointing to the top of the right tower. "Do you see that?!"

"What?" asked Izzy, looking up.

All eyes came to rest on a massive, shadowy figure atop the skyscraper. Despite the distance and the darkness, they could clearly make out the silhouette of the one and only NightmareOmnimon.

"Perfect timing…" Izzy grimaced.

"Do you think he's seen us?" asked Rosemon.

At that moment, NightmareOmnimon leapt from atop the building and fell like a stone, his huge cape billowing in the wind. At the very instant he became level with the building on which the group stood though, he came to an abrupt stop.

"I think that's a yes," said Mimi.

Bathed in the hellish glow of the D-Reaper, NightmareOmnimon looked down at the small group of humans and digimon with his solid white eyes. His cape continued to sway in the night air. One could hardly keep from trembling just from looking at him.

"Looks like he wants a fight," Valkyrimon said nervously.

"So let's give him one," said Yolei.

"I'm right behind you," said Metalgarurumon.

"No, don't," said Shibumi. "You and Guardromon should try to find those still trapped. I doubt you could concentrate on the battle knowing your partners were still in danger."

"Perhaps that would be wisest," said Metalgarurumon. "So be it. Coming, Guardomon?"

"Roger wilco!" said Guardomon.

"Alright, Diaboromon," Willis whispered. "New plan."

"Fight virus?" asked Diaboromon.

"Right."

"Good plan."

"I too will lend my aid in the fight," said Rosemon. "At the very least we can hold him off while you two rescue the others."

"Time to die," NightmareOmnimon growled.

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[*Actually, I have no idea how to spell this word, but I gave it a shot.]


	36. The Desperate Attack

[All right, looks like I'm finally on a roll. I'm going to try to get this fic as done with as soon as is humanly possible, so hang on, because we're in for a bumpy ride. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review…]

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"Everyone know what they're doing?" asked Mimi in a sudden take-charge tone of voice.

The digimon all nodded in assent.

"Alright then!" said Mimi. "Let's do this!"

Valkyrimon and Rosemon charged forward with a great yell at the same moment that Diaboromon unleashed his Cable Crusher attack against NightmareOmnimon, shoving the dark knight back against the infested skyscraper and holding him there just long enough for Rosemon and Valkyrimon to make their move.

"Rose Rapier!" shouted Rosemon as her vines, one in each hand, stiffend to become hard as steel.

"Fenrir Sword!" shouted Valkyrimon, drawing his glowing golden blade.

Valkyrimon struck first, burying his sword in NightmareOmnimon's chestplate up to the hilt and then dragging it up and out to increase the damage. Rosemon came immediately after, thrusting the blade in her right hand deep into NightmareOmnimon's body cavity and then spinning completely around, her right blade slicing its way out and the left one slicing its way in.

"Move!" shouted Diaboromon.

Valkyrimon and Rosemon bounded off NightmareOmnimon's chest, Valkyrimon going right and Rosemon going left. Once they were clear, Diaboromon fired his Web Wrecker twice into the damaged areas of NightmareOmnimon's armor. Yet despite the force of the blasts, NightmareOmnimon's armor was not pierced, and he went on the offensive. Breaking free of Diaboromon's grip, NightmareOmnimon slugged Valkyrimon with his left hand and extended the blade on his right, using it to make a broad slash at Diaboromon. Diaboromon lept to avoid the attack, but the wind it generated nearly blew the humans from their precarious position atop the roof. As Diaboromon sailed farther into the air, he fired his Web Wrecker at NightmareOmnimon again, but the metal monstrosity sidestepped it and the attack was only successful in levelling a few offices in the side of the building.

Meanwhile, Guardromon and Metalgarurumon had their hands full. It would have been hard enough to search for their partners from outside the massive structure under normal circumstances, but apparently the D-Reaper had no intention of letting them just fly by peacefully. They had to dodge gobs of red fluid being flung from the building while still trying to find those still trapped within.

"I say Metalgarurumon," said Guardromon. "Aren't you equipped with thermal sensors?"

"Yes, but unfortunately they're useless," said Metalgarurumon. "With all the heat being put out by the D-Reaper, I can't isolate any humans or other digimon inside. At the very least, we should try to find an open entrance."

"Well, when one doesn't present itself…" said Guardromon, taking aim with his armaments. "Make one. Guardian Barrage!"

Guardromon fired a pair of missiles directly into the side of the building, opening up a large hole that was unfortunately filled with the D-Reaper.

"Oh drat!" said Guardromon.

"Where could they be?" asked Metalgarurumon. "We're running out of time!"

Suddenly, a large figure flew in low of their heads and immediately turned on its back to face them once it was in front of them. It was Bahadramon.

"Bahadramon!" said Metalgarurumon. "You escaped too?"

"Yes," said Bahadramon. "But Jack is still trapped, andthat other one, Michael, is with him."

"We've got to find Kazu before it's too late!" said Guardromon.

"And I have to locate Matt," said Metalgarurumon.

"Don't worry, I think that we can save them all by working together," said Bahadramon. "Just follow me!"

Bahadramon sped up and the other two kicked in their afterburners to follow. Back at the main battle, things were getting pretty intense. Rosemon came charging toward NightmareOmnimon from above at full speed, but he saw her approach and immediately twisted his body to face her. He lifted his left hand, armed his cannon, and fired. Rosemon came to a sudden stop, crossing her Rose Rapiers in front of her just in time to stop the bolt, but just because she had stopped it didn't mean it was no longer a threat. The thing had caught on her blades and was still pushing toward her. She had to fight with all her strength to keep it at bay. She dared not move, as even the slightest slip could cost her her life. Then, just when she thought she could hold on no longer, Valkyrimon stepped in with an awesome punch that sent the projectile skyward, away from its intended target.

"Thanks!" Rosemon gasped.

"Don't worry about it!" said Valkyrimon. "Just be ready to return the favor."

At that moment, Diaboromon took advantage of NightmareOmnimon's distraction and flung himself into the behemoth's torso, jabbing him as hard as he could with his elbow. NightmareOmnimon was was shoved back into the nearby building, but as he fell backwards he also made a counterattack, cracking Diaboromon across the face with an impressive kick. Diaboromon began to fall toward the street below, which was by then completely flooded with the D-Reaper. Acting quickly, Diaboromon held his arms straight out at his sides and launched his Cable Crusher, burying his claws in buildings on opposite sides of the street. Diaboromon came to an immediate halt and just hung there for a few moments. Seeing a rare chance, Valkyrimon moved in on NightmareOmnimon.

"Fenrir Sword!" shouted Valkyrimon as his sword once again began to radiate with a golden light.

NightmareOmnimon tried to move out of the way, but he just couldn't dodge quickly enough. Valkyrimon plunged his sword into NightmareOmnimon's armored chest, releasing the stored energy in his blade in a single explosion that seared NightmareOmnimon's internal structure and blew away entire sections from his metallic body. Clearly enraged, NightmareOmnimon sent out a wave of immense dark energy, catapulting Valkyrimon across the street and into another building. Valkyrimon was stunned upon smacking into the building and began to drop out of control to the teeming street below. Down he fell, faster and faster with every moment. Just seconds away from plunging into the red mass though, a red figure swooped in and plucked Valkyrimon from the snapping jaws of doom. Valkyrimon regained his composure a few seconds later and looked up at his savior to find that it was none other than Rosemon.

"Well you certainly didn't waste any time calling in that favor," said Rosemon.

"Hey, you know me," said Valkyrimon. "Punctual to a fault."

"You're gonna' have to fly on your own now," said Rosemon. "Diaboromon looks like he could use a hand."

"Right," said Valkyrimon, dropping free of Rosemon's grasp. "I'll keep him busy. You get Diaboromon."

Valkyrimon reached for his sword, but found it to be missing.

"What?!" Valkyrimon gasped. "Where did I—"

Valkyrimon quickly realized what had happened. He could vaguely recall seeing himself drop his sword after the blow from NightmareOmnimon. He could remember seeing his blade drop straight down into the writhing mass below.

"Well that's just great!" said Valkyrimon.

"Do you want me to handle NightmareOmnimon while you help Diaboromon?" Rosemon asked.

"No, I've got it covered," said Valkyrimon.

"Alright then," said Rosemon.

Rosemon sped off toward Diaboromon, who was still unable to extracate himself from his precarious hovering over the flowing river of D-Reaper. Unfortunately, Rosemon had to pass right by NightmareOmnimon, who was wading through the D-Reaper unharmed.

"You go nowhere…" NightmareOmnimon snarled as he saw Rosemon's approach.

"Hey NightmareOmnimon!" shouted Valkyrimon from up above.

NightmareOmnimon shifted his head to see his opponent, but he was met with a surprise when he did so as some kind of dart pierced his right eye, causing him to cry out in pain and take a step back. Rosemon whizzed right past him in that second.

"Aurvandil's Arrow!" shouted Valkyrimon, taking aim with his crossbow again.

Another shimmering bolt split the air, hurtling toward NightmareOmnimon and tearing into his left shoulder. NightmareOmnimon once again grimaced in pain. A stream of nearly black blood that poured from his wounded eye had stained his facemask.

"Aurvandil's Arrow!" Valkyrimon shouted again.

Valkyrimon fired again and again, each bolt driving itself into NightmareOmnimon's vile body, but not one of them seemed to have a true impact on him.

"Web Wrecker!"

"Rose Rapier!"

Two more attacks struck NightmareOmnimon from behind. Diaboromon had his claws dug tenaciously into NightmareOmnimon's back and was firing his Web Wrecker at point-blank range. Rosemon hacked and slashed at NightmareOmnimon for everything she was worth.

"Insects…" NightmareOmnimon grumbled. "Nothing more than INSECTS!"

NightmareOmnimon released another massive surge of energy, this one much more powerful than the last. All three attacking digimon were flung away from him, and even the red mass at his feet was repelled. A wave of distortion coursed up and down the vile creature's body, resealing his wounds as though they were nothing at all.

"Ready?!" called Bahadramon.

"Go for it!" Metalgarurumon shouted back.

Floating near the very top of the domineering skscraper, Bahadramon looked at his two allies far below, and then back at the side of the building. Even though all this was his plan, Bahadramon had serious doubts as to whether or not it would work.

"Here we go…" said Bahadramon. "Dragon Claw!"

Bahadramon grabbed ahold of the roof ledge with both claws and spread his wings wide and taut. With a mighty pull he began to drop like a stone, tearing away a strip the external wall as he dropped. This in turn caused much of the surrounding srurface to cave in on itself. Bahadramon dropped farther and faster, shaking more violently with every level that passed him by. Finally, after dropping nearly twenty stories, Bahadramon dug both of his feet into the wall, gradually slowing himself down for a further five stories before finally having slowed enough to push himself free of the building and back out into the open air just as the entire surface on that side of the building for the top twenty-five stories caved in on itself, revealing a solid wall of D-Reaper.

"Now, Metalgarurumon!" shouted Bahadramon.

"Metal Wolf Claw!" shouted Metalgarurumon, unleashing a stream of super-cold air and ice from his mouth.

The attack struck the surging red mass that had all but absorbed the skyscraper, freezing a vast amount of it totally solid.

"Guardian Barrage!" shouted Guardomon, firing off a few more missiles.

The missiles detonated upon contact with the frozen mass, shattering a great deal of it hurtling into the D-Reaper river in the street below. The ice that wasn't torn away was left in sharp, crystalline forms up and down the interior of the sructure. Though the effort had dealt with a significant amount of the D-Reaper, the building was still roughly seventy percent consumed in the body of the D-Reaper, and that amount was growing to fill in the gaps.

"Let's move in!" said Bahadramon.

Metalgarurumon, Bahadramon and Guardromon swooped in and quickly began to search different sections of the building with a great urgency. While rooting through the frozen remains of an office, Bahadramon picked up on a familiar smell. There was no doubt in his mind that Jack was nearby, so he quickly followed the scent, tearing his way through several walls to move as directly as possible. He followed the smell right up to a wall of red goo.

"Jack!" shouted Bahadramon. "Jack! Can you hear me?! Are you back there?!"

Bahadramon strained to hear something—anything. After a few tense moments of waiting, he finally made out a muffled reply.

"Hang on! I'll be right there!" Bahadramon shouted.

Bahadramon spread his wings, pulling them as far back as possible as he began charging himself with power. Beads of sweat began to run down his body as his muscles expanded and his tendons tightened. He dug his clawed feet into the ground and his fingers and tail began to twitch.

"Stand back!" Bahadramon yelled.

Sparks of energy began to appear around Bahadramon's limbs, and he knew that it was now or never. With one mighty unleashing of his energies, Bahadramon slammed his wings forward, pouring his accumulated power into a gale-force wind that hammered through not only the red mass, but also through every wall from where he stood to the outside of the building. A circular path of devastation left a clear view through which one could see the night skyline. Without wasting a second, Bahadramon dashed forward into the first room beyond where the D-Reaper wall had stood.

"Wow," said a familiar voice from off to the right. "I gotta' hand it to you, buddy. You sure know how to make an entrance."

"Jack!" said Bahadramon, turning to the right.

"Who else?" asked Jack, standing there in that self-confident way of his.

"What am I, chopped liver?" asked Michael, who stood beside him.

"Come on, we'd better move it," said Bahadramon. "We don't want to get trapped by the D-Reaper again."

"Right," said Jack with a nod.

"Lead the way," said Michael.

Meanwhile, NightmareOmnimon had Valkyrimon, Rosemon and Diaboromon up against the ropes. The three weary warriors landed on the roof of a nearby building to try to get a momentary breather, but their rest was cut short when NightmareOmnimon came at them with his Infernal Sword. With a heavy, vertical slice, NightmareOmnimon cleaved the structure in two. Diaboromon, Rosemon, and Valkyrimon had been lucky enough to dodge away from the attack, but now they were separated from each other and exhausted from the fight. NightmareOmnimon quickly set his sights on Rosemon as his first target. NightmareOmnimon lifted his Cataclysm Gun and aimed directly at her as she tried to fly up and away.

"Now you die!" NightmareOmnimon said with sadistic glee.

"Digi-Modify!" shouted a male voice from some unseen origin. "Hyper speed activate!"

Just as NightmareOmnimon squeezed off a shot a gray blur bolted through his line of fire and disappeared again with Rosemon. The figure reappeared on the roof of another building where Diaboromon and Valkyrimon had sat down to rest. The figure was none other than Cyberdramon. He gently helped Rosemon to sit down before releasing her and standing at ettention. NightmareOmnimon spun around and aimed his gun again, firing without hesitation at the group of four digimon. Just as the bolt was about to hit though, a mysterious fifth digimon appeared on the ledge in front of the digimon and with a single wave of her hand, a shield in a yin-yang pattern materialized before the digimon, deflecting NightmareOmnimon's attack, albeit with great difficulty. After absorbing the attack, the shield dissipated and the mysterious digimon collapsed onto one knee.

"Such power…" said the digimon. "I had no idea…"

"Who are you?" asked Valkyrimon.

"I am the Ultimate form of Renamon," said the digimon as she panted heavily. "You may call me Taomon."

"Your shield may have saved you once, but not again!" NightmareOmnimon snarled, preparing to fire again.

"Metal Wolf Claw!" yelled a familiar gruff voice.

A stream of ice raked across NightmareOmnimon's left hand, freezing his gun solid and rendering it inoperable. All eyes turned to Metalgarurumon, who had just arrived with Kenta, Joe, and Yamaki on his back, Guardromon with Kazu on one side, and Wargreymon carrying Henry, Suzie, Terriermon and Lopmon on the other. At about the same time, the shining figures of Seraphimon and Magnadramon made it onto the scene, with Magnadramon carrying Tai, Matt, Kari, TK, and Sora on her back. Bahadramon also showed up, carrying Jack and Michael on his back. Finally, the other digimon showed up almost simultaneously, led by Imperialdramon on whose back rode Davis, Ken, Ryo, and Rika. HerculesKabuterimon and GrandKuwagamon came in from the east. Preciomon and Metalseadramon came from the south. Phoenixmon and Vikemon came from the west, while MegaGargomon and Kerpymon rounded it off, coming from the north.

"NightmareOmnimon!" shouted Seraphimon. "The time for your sentencing is come at last! Now we shall all stop you together!"


	37. Farewell, Tamers

The writhing sea of D-Reaper that was growing all around the area cast a devilish red glow upon all that it touched. NightmareOmnimon remained perfectly calm. He carefully studied his opponents, his eyes moving slowly from one to the next. He could practically smell their determination. Of course, he knew that determination alone could never lead to his downfall, but he also knew that overconfidence could. He could not afford to throw these Tamers into the equation as well; there was no telling what powers they might have.

"Fools…" said NightmareOmnimon. "Weak creatures, all of you. That you've dared to defy me this long is purely amazing, but it's over now. I've taken what I need from this world, and I've used the D-Reaper's code to activate my greatest weapon. Come after me again and I'll cast all of you into oblivion!"

"You're going nowhere!" said Tai from atop a building where Magnadramon had dropped all of her passengers.

"Stand down, NightmareOmnimon," Ryo ordered from the rooftop with Cyberdramon, Renamon and the others where Imperialdramon had left his passengers. "If we continue this fight then none of us will come out alive."

"Then leave me to my work!" said NightmareOmnimon.

"Virus… It's been a long time," said Cyberdramon.

"What?" asked Ryo. "How do you know this guy?"

NightmareOmnimon squinted his eyes at Cyberdramon, studying him intently.

"Wait a minute…" said NightmareOmnimon. "Oh, this is far too delicious. It looks like I WILL get the chance to kill you today."

"Actually, I was hoping it would be the other way around," Cyberdramon growled.

"Tell me, what are YOU doing with these… humans?" asked NightmareOmnimon. "Just buying yourself some time to get strong enough to come after me? Trying to take my place?"

"That was a long time ago," said Cyberdramon. "Things are different now."

"Your better half didn't seem to think so," said NightmareOmnimon. "That's why the Vanguard rubbed him out of existence. Now I'll do the same to you."

"I take it you're still the Vanguard's stooge," said Cyberdramon. "I'm not surprised. You never could think for yourself. Don't tell me you're still working on that same, tired plan."

"Would someone tell me what's going on here?!" asked Ryo.

"It's almost a shame really," said NightmareOmnimon, ignoring Ryo. "I don't really want to kill you. I'd much rather leave it up to _him_, just to see the look on your face. But I can't have you standing in my way again."

"What is he talking about?" asked Ryo.

"Ignore him!" Cyberdramon snapped. "He's trying to distract you!"

"Oh, you haven't told them…" said NightmareOmnimon. "That makes this much more interesting doesn't it?"

"Shut up! Are we going to talk or fight?!" Cyberdramon snarled.

"Don't try to hide it," said NightmareOmnimon. "I'd recognize that scent from the other side of the Digital World. Sure, it may have been masked some, but it's still very much there."

"I said SHUT UP!" Cyberdramon roared, taking flight.

Cyberdramon shot right for NightmareOmnimon's face. Just as he reached the immense evil knight he flipped around to land a kick on his face. The blow struck hard on NightmareOmnimon's chin, knocking his head back, but Cyberdramon was not done yet. He began to pummel NightmareOmnimon with phenomenal speed and ferocity, laying into the dark digimon's face with every ounce of strength he had. He attacked viciously, beating NightmareOmnimon into submission before finally backing for just a moment to prepare his primary attack: the Desolation Claw. With his claws charged, Cyberdramon made one great final attack on NightmareOmnimon, digging his amazingly destructive claws into NightmareOmnimon's tough armor. The attack left a pair of gaping wounds in NightmareOmnimon's body. Bits of data floated away from the wounds, through which one could see the immense darkness within NightmareOmnimon. Cyberdramon was panting heavily as he began to back away slowly. NightmareOmnimon appeared to be stunned from the attack, quivering in apparent pain, not bothering to bring his head upright again. However, Cyberdramon had overexerted himself in that furious attack. He was breathing heavily and sweat dripped down his tough hide. Seeing NightmareOmnimon so shocked was more than enough to bring a smile to Cyberdramon's face though.

"Did you like that?" asked Cyberdramon.

"Is that the best you got?" returned the calm yet terrifying voice of NightmareOmnimon.

"What?!" Cyberdramon gasped in shock.

NightmareOmnimon brought his head back up to normal position, revealing a total lack of damage to his face. The wounds inflicted began to reseal themselves almost instantly as the evil knight's eyes began to glow brighter than ever before.

"N-No! Impossible!" said Cyberdramon.

"Die…" said NightmareOmnimon.

With a stunning burst of speed, NightmareOmnimon head-butted Cyberdramon, launching the dragon through the air and causing him to cry out in sudden, agonizing pain.

"Cyberdramon!" shouted Ryo.

NightmareOmnimon took off after him instantly. Before Cyberdramon could cover more than two hundred yards, NightmareOmnimon was right on top of him again. He backhanded Cyberdramon with the broad side of his Infernal Sword, catapulting him straight up toward the stratosphere and eliciting another dry of pain from the dragon digimon. Just as Cyberdramon's ascent began to slow toward a point of stoppage, NightmareOmnimon appeared overhead again. NightmareOmnimon fell on Cyberdramon like a mountain, pinning him beneath his outstretched foot as they fell, moving faster and faster until they finally returned to earth. NightmareOmnimon fell directly toward a building, plowing through it with Cyberdramon still on the bottom of his foot. The building fell inward as the insidious NightmareOmnimon tore down through it, crushing Cyberdramon beneath his heel and burying him beneath tons and tons of rubble. An entire wave of debris sprung up from the building as it collapsed around the two digimon, concealing NightmareOmnimon from the sight of the DigiDestined.

"Cyberdramon! NOOOO!!!" screamed Ryo.

"No!" gasped Taomon.

"There's just no way he could've survived that!" said Shibumi.

"Cyberdramon!" Ken yelled.

"This can't be…" said Davis.

"Henry!" shouted Terriermon. "I'm going in! There still might be time to save him!"

"I have to help too, Suzie!" said Lopmon.

"No way!" said Henry. "Not this time! I can't let either of you go out there to face that thing! I know you want to help, but there's just no way we can help Cyberdramon now."

"We've still got to try!" said Lopmon.

"No! I don't want you to go!" cried Suzie as she held on tight to Lopmon.

"Suzie, we have to!" said Lopmon.

"Come on Henry!" said Terriermon. "If we don't at least try to help out then what good are we?"

"But if I send you out there you'll be killed for sure!" said Henry.

"We'll all get killed if we stay here!" said Terriermon.

Before Henry could get out an answer, NightmareOmnimon burst forth from the debris cloud, leaping up to just slightly over the DigiDestined.

"Now Imperialdramon!" shouted Davis.

"Positron Laser!" shouted Imperialdramon, firing the deadly beam of light from his back. 

Imperialdramon's attack split a path through the airborne debris as it headed straight for NightmareOmnimon. NightmareOmnimon swiftly held up his blade and used it to deflect the attack away from himself. GrandKuwagamon charged, but a brutal punch from NightmareOmnimon cut him down in his tracks, planting him firmly in one of the growing number of ruins in the area. MegaGargomon, Metalgarurumon, and Guardromon all fired clusters of missiles together, bombarding NightmareOmnimon with hundreds of explosions. Before the last of the missiles had hit though, the dark digimon bolted forward. A single blow to MegaGargomon flattened the great digimon and landed him on Metalgarurumon and Guardromon. Metalseadramon made his move, firing his River of Power right at NightmareOmnimon, but the vile digimon sidestepped the surging bolt of energy, which promptly tore through one of the few remaining support-pillars of the Shinjuku Skyscrapers. NightmareOmnimon swiftly moved in behind the snakelike digimon, pounding him at the base of the skull with his elbow. Kerpymon took the opportunity to come in quick. He reached out with one of his massive arms, grabbing a firm hold on NightmareOmnimon's face and plowing him into the ground. NightmareOmnimon counterattacked flawlessly, kicking Kerpymon head over heels as he fell. NightmareOmnimon was upright again in an instant. It was clear that his control over his ever-expanding powers was increasing by the second.

"Rosemon!" cried Mimi. "You have to do something!"

"Too… tired…" groaned Rosemon, still exhausted from her previous fight.

"Diaboromon! You've got to help MegaGargomon and Kerpymon!" Willis shouted.

"No energy…" Diaboromon said in between deep breaths. "Too weak…"

"Time's up," said NightmareOmnimon as his eyes surged with evil light.

An explosion of sheer power radiated out from NightmareOmnimon, tossing humans and digimon alike into the air. The foundations of all the remaining buildings in the area trembled. Even the red glow cast over everything by the D-Reaper quaked from the energy.

"Tai!" shouted Wargreymon, quickly moving in to keep his partner from being thrown over the edge of the building he stood on.

"I gotcha'!" said Bahadramon, hanging on tight to Jack and Michael.

"It's over," said the booming voice of NightmareOmnimon. "Now you die!"

NightmareOmnimon eagerly lifted his cannon and aimed right for the center of the large group.

"Grau Realm!" shouted a voice from off to the side.

Yet another mysterious digimon appeared, running at full speed across the roof of a building toward NightmareOmnimon. He leaped headfirst at NightmareOmnimon's cannon, knocking its aim off slightly just as he fired. The bolt flew past the DigiDestined and skimmed along the skyline before heading off into the distance. NightmareOmnimon's gaze instantly fell upon the digimon that had attacked him: a large dog-like digimon.

"Whoa, now that's some timing!" said Davis. "That guy a friend of yours Rika?"

"I haven't seen any digimon like THAT before," said Rika.

"Me neither," said Taomon.

"Dobermon!" called a girl from behind the mysterious digimon.

The girl was very pale with blonde hair in pigtails. She wore all-black clothing, specifically a Victorian skirt with stockings and a metal cross around her neck.

"Alice! Stay back!" shouted the dog digimon.

"But Dobermon! You can't do this alone!"

"I have to!"

"Argh!" NightmareOmnimon yelled. "Why is it that every time I'm about to win, another one of you CRETINS has to show up?! I HATE this world!"

"Heads up!" shouted a voice from NightmareOmnimon's other side.

NightmareOmnimon turned his head just in time to be hit in the eyes by Rapidmon's Tri Beam, temporarily blinding him. As NightmareOmnimon reached up to rub his eyes, Antylamon moved in quickly, her Bunny Axe nice and ready. She tore into NightmareOmnimon's armored body with her blades, slicing and dicing him as much as possible. Rapidmon fired several missiles to prolong the distraction.

"Way to go, Rapidmon!" Henry cheered.

"Go Antylamon!" said Suzie.

Dobermon took advantage of the distraction, quickly hoisting Alice up onto his back and then dashing to where most of the humans and digimon had congregated. After gracefully leaping over several rooftops, Dobermon found himself in the midst of the DigiDestined.

"Hey, thanks for the help there," said Izzy. "We'd all be gone by now if it wasn't for you!"

"Don't celebrate quite yet," said Alice, letting herself off Dobermon's back.

"Who exactly are you?" asked Mimi. "Are you another Tamer?"

"Yes, I'm a Tamer," said Alice. "But I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. Time is of the essence now."

"The Sovereigns have sensed this fiend, NightmareOmnimon," said Dobermon. "They called upon Alice and I to assess the threat, and to do whatever is in our power to stop it."

"We'll welcome any help we can get," said Bahadramon as he made a landing a few yards away, letting Jack and Michael down to solid ground once again.

"Bahadramon!" said Dobermon.

"Um… yes?" said the suddenly confused dragon.

"It's you!" said Dobermon. "I had wondered where… wait a minute. You… you don't recognize me."

"I'm sorry to say I don't," said Bahadramon.

"Bah! It doesn't matter now," said Dobermon. "There are more important matters to—"

"Hold it!" said Bahadramon. "Do you know me from somewhere?"

"Please! There's not time for this!" said Dobermon. "If we can all come through this thing in one piece, I'd be more than happy to explain. For now we must focus!"

"Uh, guys!" Rapidmon yelled. "He looks pretty mad!"

All eyes returned to Antylamon and Rapidmon just as the two digimon were knocked away from NightmareOmnimon and into the side of a building. NightmareOmnimon looked absolutely furious.

"Infernal Sword Deletion Mode!" shouted NightmareOmnimon.

NightmareOmnimon's already menacing sword suddenly took on a new appearance as an unsettling swirling crimson mist began to swirl about it. Sparks of electrical energy ran up and down the edge sporadically.

"Behold!" said NightmareOmnimon. "The TRUE power of my viral essence! Prepare to witness my fully activated powers, brought to you courtesy of the D-Reaper!"

NightmareOmnimon lifted his blade straight up over his head, but everyone knew it wouldn't stay there for long. The humans began to scatter toward whatever digimon they could get to first, but NightmareOmnimon was not about to let them escape this final blow. The sword began to fall, and it fell fast. The deadly weapon sliced through the air with ease, drawing closer and closer to the building on which most of the humans stood, as well as a number of digimon. Ryo, lacking a digimon, couldn't seem to find his legs. He stared up at the blade like a deer transfixed in a car's headlights. Ryo instinctively shielded himself from the falling weapon with his arms. He shut his eyes tight and turned away from the coming attack. But in an instant, the deadly blade came to an abrupt stop mere feet above the human. The sudden halt was accompanied by the crashing sound of metal striking metal. Ryo remained still for a moment, shaking in terror, not even realizing that he had been preserved. Slowly though, he and everyone else turned to look at what had halted NightmareOmnimon's attack. What they saw was nothing less than miraculous; Cyberdramon, with his body beaten and bruised, his helmet cracked, and his wings torn to ribbons, had stepped between the building and NightmareOmnimon's attack and clasped his claws onto the Infernal Sword, holding it just above his face. The battered digimon stared straight up into the impossibly sharp edge. He could feel his strength giving out as he shook violently just to keep the blade from completing its task. Strips of red energy from around the blade curled up and down Cyberdramon's body, tearing off bits of flesh and metal and deleting them.

"Cyberdramon…" asked Ryo, still in a state of shock.

"Ryo!" Cyberdramon grunted, trying desperately to keep from being crushed by NightmareOmnimon. "Get… out of here!"

"Cyberdramon, you'll be killed!" Ryo responded.

"Nothing…*urgh*… can help that… now," Cyberdramon said. "But… you and the others… can still make it!"

"Cyberdramon, I—"

"GO!!!"

Bahadramon grabbed Ryo around the waist from behind and took off. He was the last of the digimon to leave the rooftop, which was now abandoned by all but Cyberdramon. An instant later, Cyberdramon was overwhelmed by NightmareOmnimon's strength. The black blade shredded Cyberdramon and completely deleted his body, also managing to take out the entire building below his feet.

"CYBERDRAMON!!!" Ryo screamed.

"Fire!" Tai ordered from his perch on Wargreymon's back.

"With pleasure…" said the enraged Wargreymon.

In a massive volley, the digimon unleashed what attacks they could.

"Terra Force!"

"Metal Wolf Claw!"

"Water Tail Blaster!"

"Mega Electro Shocker!"

"Crimson Flame!"

"Positron Laser!"

"Aurvandil's Arrow!"

"Viking Axe!"

"River of Power!"

"Gargo Missile!"

"Lightning Spear!"

"Web Wrecker!"

"Gaea Flare!"

"Talisman of Light!"

"Tri Beam!"

"Fire Tornado!"

"Seven Heavens!"

The attacks all made a beeline for NightmareOmnimon, all merging into one all-powerful attack as they moved in. Less than half a second after the attacks were launched, NightmareOmnimon felt an immense pain, unlike he'd ever felt before. With unprecedented speed and power, the merged attack, a brilliant pure white bolt of energy, blasted through NightmareOmnimon's chest with ease and left behind it a hole big enough to fit a house through. NightmareOmnimon was thrown back the length of a football field by the attack's sheer force, flying back through the few semi-intact buildings in the area.

"Yeah!" said Mr. Wong from atop HerculesKabuterimon, where he and the other programmers including Yamaki had taken refuge.

"Phenomenal…" said Yamaki.

NightmareOmnimon stared down at the gaping hole in his chest, trembling with fear of the apparently growing powers of the DigiDestined and their digimon. As the fight had worn on, he was finding it harder and harder to regenerate from his injuries. He was lucky to have survived that last attack and he knew it. He was more enraged than he had ever been before.

"That's IT!" NightmareOmnimon screamed. "I have had ENOUGH!"

"Hit the dirt!" Vikemon shouted.

All the humans and digimon immediately dove for any cover they could find. NightmareOmnimon's eyes overflowed with a shimmering white light that quickly formed into an aura that surrounded his entire body. Even the D-Reaper shrank from the searing light. NightmareOmnimon's body trembled with waves of power as the energy field grew bigger and bigger by the second. Waves of distortion flowed around his body like smoke from a fire. The air, the buildings, everything around NightmareOmnimon bent into odd forms. The light billowed from his eyes faster with every instant. The very ground shook terribly, causing many of the already severely damaged buildings to collapse altogether. NightmareOmnimon suddenly shut his eyes, pulled back his arms, turned his head skyward, and let out a terrible yell that reverberated throughout the city. Humans and digimon alike shut their ears and covered their eyes to protect themselves from the horrible noise. NightmareOmnimon's massive upsurge of power was directed toward the sky. The great surge of energy proved so powerful that it tore a hole right through the dimensional border. A great white circle hung in the sky, pulsating at irregular intervals with the terrible light of NightmareOmnimon. It actually looked very much like the portal so long ago that had helped Tai to return to the Digital World following the defeat of Etemon and Tai's subsequent voyage home, but it was far more sinister. Debris from all over the place was sucked into the brilliant vortex as raging winds began to envelop the whole of the city.

"Humans!" yelled the still clearly enraged NightmareOmnimon, his voice shaking the Earth itself. "Hear me! I am leaving this place, and any that follow me will face pain beyond imagining! I have finished toying with you weaklings!"

With that, NightmareOmnimon flew straight upward, disappearing into the vortex.

"I think we all know what this means," Matt shouted over the wind.

"We're going after him," said Metalgarurumon.

"No time to lose!" said Joe.

"Wait a second!" said Rika. "You're not going anywhere without us!"

"Yeah!" said Henry. "We can't sit back and let you handle that guy alone!"

"Right on, dude!" said Kazu.

"No," said Alice.

"What?" asked Ryo.

"The DigiDestined must face NightmareOmnimon alone," said Alice. "The rest of us must remain behind and insure that the D-Reaper does not consume our world."

"Are you nuts?" asked Rika. "It's pretty obvious that NightmareOmnimon is the bigger threat here! We've got to stop him first!"

"The DigiDestined can handle that," said Dobermon.

"Alice and Dobermon are right!" said Tai. "You've all got to stay! We can handle this guy. You just worry about your own world."

"Hey, Ken?" asked Ryo.

"Yeah?" asked Ken.

"In case this is the last time we see each other, I just want you to know that I really appreciate having you as a friend. I'm glad we had this chance to meet again."

"Me too," said Ken.

"One more thing," said Ryo. "Make him pay. Make him pay for what he did to Cyberdramon."

"Don't worry," said Ken. "We'll never let him get away from us. He'll get exactly what's coming to him."

"Alright troops! Let's move out!" shouted Wargreymon.

One by one, the humans who were staying behind disembarked, and those that were leaving steeled themselves for the approaching terror they would have to face. Once they were loaded down with their partners once again the digimon took flight, heading up into NightmareOmnimon's vortex and leaving behind that world forever, as well as the new friends they had all made there.

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[Woo! That was a long on there. In case you're wondering about what the deal is between NightmareOmnimon and Cyberdramon, I'd review chapter 22 and it wouldn't hurt to do a little research into the history of Ryo. As for the meeting between Bahadramon and Dobermon, I assure you that will be explained, albeit in an untimely manner. The clock is running out on this fic as The Crest of Corruption enters its closing chapters. See you next time!]


	38. In the Winds of Time

[Okay, okay, okay. I know it's been three weeks. I'm also quite sure you could care less about my explanation. However, this chapter is extra long. In fact, it brings the total length of my work to over 200 typed pages (12 pt. font, single-spaced). I think you'll all enjoy a quick recap. As you recall, last time the DigiDestined and Tamers ganged up on NightmareOmnimon, but the evil virus made yet another escape through a dimensional rip. Even though the virus is now fully armed, thanks to the data he acquired from the D-Reaper that allowed him to bring his true weaponry online, the DigiDestined chased after him, leaving the Tamers behind to face their own enemy. Now, as the DigiDestined head toward their destiny, an opportunity comes to them to reflect. Now then, I also think that if I keep you waiting any longer you'll begin hurling vegetables at my head, and so…]

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As the DigiDestined and their digimon passed through the great ring of energy, they felt a sudden burst of acceleration as they were swept along down an immense tunnel of pure light, circling about them on all sides. There were bits of debris of every type and size adrift in the corridor. The digimon had to weave between and dodge everything from rocks to tangled clumps of foliage to packets of pure data. While this proved an easy task for the more nimble digimon like Wargreymon and Valkyrimon, the big boys such as Imperialdramon had a much tougher time, and usually ended up just plowing through obstacles.

"Kick it up a notch!" Tai shouted from the head of the group. "If we're gonna' catch NightmareOmnimon we can't let him get too far ahead of us!"

"So where do you think this tunnel leads?" Metalgarurumon called out.

"Beats me," said Matt. "But I'll bet you NightmareOmnimon is at the end."

"I smell virus!" Diaboromon announced as he used the floating debris to springboard himself along the tunnel.

"Is he close?" asked Willis from atop MegaGargomon.

"Not far…" said Diaboromon.

"Let's make sure he stays down this time," Metalseadramon snarled.

"Whoa!" Magnadramon gasped as she dodged below an oncoming boulder in the nick of time. "This place is dangerous!"

"We should be careful," said GrandKuwagamon. "This feels like a trap!"

"Of course it's a trap!" Metalgarurumon called back. "But we still have to face him here and now!"

"Hey guys!" Tai called out. "Brace yourselves!"

Everyone tightened their grips as they realized that they were drawing very swiftly to the end of the tunnel. Before them they saw an immense wall of solid light as they approached it extremely rapidly.

"Hang on!" shouted Wargreymon.

"We're going in!" yelled Metalgarurumon.

In the next instant, the DigiDestined and their digimon slammed into the infinite sea of brilliant white light. Upon passing through the great barrier, they all felt completely disconnected, as though they were floating in a realm without sound or gravity or even substance, just light.

"Where am I?" asked Davis, noticing that his voice lacked any echo whatsoever.

No response came to Davis' question from any direction. He continued to float there for a short time, realizing that any attempt to call out to the others would very likely prove useless.

"Imperialdramon?" asked Davis, still surprised by the apparent muteness of his voice. "You out there?"

Again, there was no answer. Davis hung his head, having no idea what was going on. He began to have serious doubts about following NightmareOmnimon into this vortex. Then, Davis began to notice a slight sensation. It was very slight, but Davis could distinctly feel his senses returning to him. Very soon, distinct shapes began to appear within the light. The feeling of gravity seemed to return as Davis found himself drawn down onto a flat, solid surface. This was followed closely by the return of sound and smell. Even taste returned, and Davis first realized how much he'd missed the taste of fresh air. He felt a slight breeze drift across his skin. Finally, the light died out and left behind it a scene as real as anything else Davis could have experienced.

"Wicked…" said Davis.

He found himself outdoors on a cool, starry night. The air seemed crisp and clean, and a thick forest of ancient trees lay on all sides. Lush vegetation under a remarkably clear sky was just about all that Davis could make out from where he stood in a small clearing.

"Check it out," said a voice behind him.

Davis quickly turned to find that Yolei was there with him.

"Hey, you're here too," said Davis.

"Now if only we knew where 'here' was," said Yolei. "Any thoughts?"

"Duh! We'll find someone and ask them," said Davis.

"I guess that's the direct approach," said Yolei.

"Come on, this way!" Davis said in an unusually cheerful manner.

Davis marched off into the woods without even the slightest notion of where he was going. Yolei just shrugged her shoulders and followed. Meanwhile, Ken, Cody, TK, and Sora found themselves in a similar situation. They had all emerged together inside of what they quickly realized to be a very cramped broom closet.

"Uh… I'm stuck," said Ken.

"Me too," said TK. "Can anyone get to the doorknob?"

"It's jabbing me in the back as we speak," said Sora. "Hey! Whose hand is that?!"

"I'm sorry, but I think that's mine," said Cody.

"Ach! I think I just stepped in a bucket of water!" said TK.

"Hey! Watch it TK!" said Sora. "You almost stuck me in the eye with that broom handle."

"I'm finding it a little hard to breathe down here," said Cody.

"How the heck did we even get here to begin with?!" asked Ken.

"And where are our digimon?!" asked TK.

"I don't know about you, but I think this is crowded enough as is!" said Cody.

"Stupid doorknob!" said Sora.

As the struggling for freedom grew more and more intense, Sora managed to turn the doorknob just enough to open the door. Of course, this meant that all four DigiDestined came tumbling out and onto the hard, thinly carpeted floor of an office hallway. As they exchanged moans and groans they all began to look up and around, soon coming to realize that they were not alone. Surrounding them were no less than half a dozen Bakemon, and they did not look friendly.

"Tai?" asked Joe. "Hey Tai, you okay?"

"Stupid keys…" said Tai as he tenderly rubbed his upper thigh.

Tai and Joe, as well as Izzy had materialized in midair a few moments before, several feet over a stone bridge that crossed a familiar little water duct. There was a light fog blanketing the ground, and the sky overhead was deep in the cloak of night. They could immediately tell that they were in a city from all of the buildings around them. The buildings weren't really big though, most of them being three stories or less, with the exception of several apartment buildings.

"Weird," said Joe as he looked around.

"This is most peculiar," said Izzy. "Why do you suppose we're here?"

"Where do you think we are?" asked Tai, still in pain from the fall.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Izzy. "Look around. Don't you recognize it here?"

"You know…" said Tai following Izzy's instructions. "It does seem pretty familiar."

"It should," said Izzy. "Welcome back to Highton View Terrace: home to inexplicable monster sightings and birthplace of our team of DigiDestined. Ahead of us, I believe you'll find some VERY familiar apartments. If you'll direct your attention to the rear, I believe you'll see the causeway that we've managed to destroy not once, but twice."

"Please don't tell me there're T-shirts available in the gift shop," said Joe.

"Hey, blowing up that bridge wasn't our fault the first time," said Tai. "It was Parrotmon's doing."

"And the second time?" asked Izzy.

"Well… that was mostly Sora and Birdramon's fault," said Tai. "But that Mammothmon was asking for it."

"Uh-huh…" said Izzy.

"Wait a minute," said Tai. "If we're here, then where are the others?"

"I'm sure they must be around here somewhere," said Joe. "Come on. I bet if we look we can find them pretty quickly and then hunt down NightmareOmnimon together."

"Well I guess we don't have anything better to do," said Izzy.

"That's the spirit!" said Tai.

"Lead on," said Izzy.

Elsewhere, five more DigiDestined were having a rough time. Somehow, Jack, Mimi, Kari, Michael, and Willis had shown up in New York on a sunny day. They found themselves on a small, cement balcony looking out onto the busy street below. They looked to be in an apartment complex. The broad windows looking into the apartment behind them were covered by closed curtains.

"Wow," said Willis. "This was unexpected.

"Where'd Metalseadramon go?" asked Michael.

"Where did WE go?" asked Kari.

"And how do we get down?" asked Mimi.

"Well, there's the obvious way," said Jack, motioning to the closed door behind them.

"What if it's locked?" asked Michael.

"Only one way to find out," said Jack, reaching for the handle.

The door slid smoothly open with only minimal effort.

"After you," said Jack.

"Are you sure we should?" asked Mimi. "What will it look like if we go traipsing through someone else's apartment? What if they're home?"

"Hey I just open doors," said Jack. "One of you guys can be the smooth-talker."

"Alright, stand back," said Michael. "I'll handle this."

"Actually, I think I've got it covered," said Willis, stopping Michael from taking another step forward. "I can talk my way through anything."

"No, really, I can handle it," said Michael.

"I don't think you can," said Willis. "That's why I'm going in first."

"Just what's THAT supposed to mean?"

"That means whatever you want it to mean."

"Jeez!" said the exasperated Kari.

"Do you boys have to turn EVERYTHING into a competition?" asked Mimi.

"Come on, we'll handle this," said Kari.

Kari and Mimi walked straight ahead into the apartment. Willis and Michael blushed in embarrassment.

"Going in?" asked Jack.

"Of course," said Willis, smoothing his hair.

"Keep your shirt on," said Michael, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Jack watched the two guys trying to mask their embarrassment as they followed after Mimi and Kari.

"We don't have time for this…" Jack muttered with a sigh, following the others and closing the door behind him.

By that time, Davis and Yolei had nearly made it through the thick jungle, but not unscathed.

"Well that was fun," Yolei said sarcastically. "Do you suppose there could've been anything else back there with needles on it?"

"Oh calm down," said Davis dryly. "Those probably weren't poisonous. Just be glad YOU'RE not the one who fell into that giant patch of poison ivy."

"Oh boohoo," she returned mockingly. "Look, there's a clearing up ahead. Maybe there's someone there who can help us."

"Let's hope so," said Davis.

The intrepid adventurers soon emerged from the dense trees onto a small strip of land that surrounded a small lake. Oddly enough, there appeared to be a couple of ruined power structures projecting from the water, corroded with age and with their power lines dangling, lifeless. A piece of land higher than the surrounding terrain jutted into the water. Atop it was a small campfire and what appeared to be a streetcar.

"Hey, look," said Davis.

"Awesome!" said Yolei. "Where there's a campfire, there's people!"

Davis and Yolei took off running toward the small hill. They reached it soon enough, and as the scrambled up to the higher ground, the campfire came into view, as did the two figures sitting next to it.

"Hey there!" Davis called out, waving.

The two figures turned around suddenly, obviously taken by surprise.

"What the…?" asked all four at once.

Davis and Yolei couldn't believe their eyes. There sat Tai and Agumon, but Tai was definitely younger than he should've been. In fact he looked to be only eleven years old or so. Tai was equally surprised to see two new unexpected guests arrive. He'd started to think that he and his friends were the only humans in this crazy place.

"Oh man…" muttered Davis. "What's going on?"

"I was wondering that myself," said the young Tai.

"Uh, hi there," Yolei said nervously.

"Are you more humans?" asked Agumon.

"Sure, I guess," said Yolei, still a bit confused.

"So there ARE more people here!" Tai said excitedly. "Agumon! Go wake up the others, quick!"

"Right away!" said Agumon, dashing off to the streetcar.

"It's so great to see you!" said Tai. "You wouldn't believe the day we've had. First we were all at summer camp, but it started SNOWING of all things. Then there was this huge light in the sky and it—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" said Davis. "Today is now officially the weirdest day I've ever experienced. What is WITH this virus?!"

"Um, look Tai," said Yolei.

"Huh?" asked Tai. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, uh… long story," said Yolei.

"What's going on?" asked a youthful Sora, who had just emerged from the streetcar with TK, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, Biyomon, Gabumon, and Agumon.

"Is someone there?" asked eight-year-old TK, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Check it out," Davis whispered.

"TK is adorable as a little kid!" Yolei cooed.

"Who are they?" asked Mimi.

"Beats me," said Tai.

"I'm Davis and this is Yolei. Nice to meet you."

"So where did you come from?" asked Izzy.

"Hopefully it's someplace with WORKING phones," Joe said, adjusting his glasses.

"Well, technically…" Yolei began to say.

"You guys are sure being rude," said Mimi. "Come on, the least we could do is invite them to sit down first."

"I suppose," said Tai with a shrug.

"Hey, where's Matt?" asked TK.

"Oh who knows," said Tai. "That jerk wandered off somewhere."

"We're looking for some of our friends ourselves," said Yolei. "Maybe if we work together we can find your friend and ours as well."

"Seems like a good idea to me," said Tai.

"No way!" said Joe. "My parents always told me not to go anywhere with strangers!"

"Oh grow up," said Tai. "Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not being a baby!" Joe fumed. "I'm just being careful!"

"This bickering is getting us nowhere," Izzy pointed out.

"Jeez," Yolei whispered to Davis. "No wonder they never told us much about their first few days here."

"No kidding," Davis replied.

"Hey! Guys!" called out a familiar voice from the forest.

All heads turned to look, and they saw not one, but two Matts. It was the elder Matt that had called out, and the younger stood beside him.

"Matt!" said Davis and Yolei together as they began to run toward their friend.

"You'd think today couldn't get any stranger," said Sora.

"But you'd be wrong," Izzy added.

"Matt!" Tai called out. "Where've you been?"

"What?" asked both Matts simultaneously.

"I think he meant me," said the younger Matt.

"Oh, right," said the older.

"Okay! That's enough! Hold it!" Yolei said over the voices of everyone else. "Today, I've had to deal with WAY too much! I've been captured by an evil computer virus, found out he was controlling the hottest guy I've had the chance to meet this year, fought my way out of his dungeon, had a long talk with the Sovereigns, resurrected Protomon, saw the birth of the evilest digimon we've EVER fought, saw Protomon get killed, had fight after fight with NightmareOmnimon, met some kids from a whole different UNIVERSE, and now I'm stuck in the PAST! It's too much!"

"Whoa," said Joe, taken aback.

"Oooookay…" said Tai.

"Wow, you should count to ten or something," Davis suggested.

"I do NOT need to count to ten!" screeched Yolei. "I need to go home! I'm tired! I'm filthy! I've never been this sore in my entire life! All I want is to go home and take the longest bath in history! Is that too much to ask?!"

At that moment, an immense wall of water surged up from the lake, forming a great pillar of water that hung in the sky for a moment before it came crashing down again, drenching everyone around. Looming overhead was an irritated Seadramon, lured to the surface by Yolei's shouting.

"Well, at least you're not filthy anymore," said Davis, laughing a little as water continued to rain down on all sides.

Yolei just looked back at him, utterly drenched and looking endlessly defeated.

"Down!" the elder Matt shouted, tackling Davis and Yolei and shoving them beneath Seadramon's tail as it whipped out to strike at them.

"Please don't eat me Mr. Sea Monster, sir!" Joe begged. "I taste terrible, really! I love fish, I swear! I mean, not that I love to eat them! I've never even eaten sushi! Oh PLEASE don't kill us!"

"Oh grow up, Joe!" scolded Sora.

"Agumon!" Tai called out, holding his digivice at the ready. "Think you're up for a little fight?"

Agumon flexed his muscles and began to snarl, but after a few seconds his strength simply quit on him. He could tell it wasn't going to happen.

"Sorry Tai," said Agumon dejectedly. "Digivolving twice in one day is too hard."

"We'd better come up with a plan!" said Biyomon.

"I don't suppose he'd leave us alone if we asked him," said Tentomon, hiding behind a tree with Izzy.

"That situation seems highly implausible," Izzy remarked.

Suddenly, Seadramon reared his head back and then unleashed his fearsome Ice Blast attack. Everyone was dodging left and right to avoid the hail of deadly frigid projectiles, but the younger Matt made the mistake of rolling right into the water, where he was instantly seized in the unbreakable grasp of Seadramon's tail. Seadramon held Matt up in the air, eyeing his prey carefully so as to figure out the best way to start his meal.

"Matt!" TK cried.

"Hold on!" Gabumon called out. "I'm coming for you!"

"Hurry!" Matt grunted.

"Come on guys!" said Gomamon. "Let's teach this overgrown guppy what happens when you mess with our friends!"

"Right!" said the other digimon.

"Pepper Breath!"

"Spiral Twister!"

"Super Shocker!"

"Boom Bubble!"

The four attacks knocked Seadramon upside the head, throwing him off balance, but doing virtually no damage thanks to his heavy-duty head protection.

"Poison Ivy!" Palmon called out, wrapping her vines around Seadramon's throat, holding him in place.

"Marching Fishes!" Gomamon yelled as a torrent of colorful digi-fish began to leap from the water and pound at Seadramon from all sides, but they had no more effect than any of the previous attacks had.

Seadramon began to thrash his body around, yanking Palmon up into the air and tossing her to the other side of the lake.

"Don't worry! I'm on my way!" Gabumon called out as he treaded water toward the great sea snake.

"Look out, Gabumon!" the younger Matt cried out.

Seadramon saw the approaching Gabumon and got ready to fire his Ice Blast. However, the warning came too late, and the bitter cold attack rained down on Gabumon, freezing him in a block of ice.

"Gabumon!" young Matt cried out.

Suddenly, a golden glow shot from the digivice clutched in the young Matt's hand. The light washed over Gabumon, and he felt a sudden surge of power.

"Gabumon, digivolve too…!"

There was an explosion of light from the field of ice.

"Garurumon!" shouted the great wolf digimon, hurtling upward toward Seadramon's bony face.

"Whoa…" the younger DigiDestined all gasped in surprise.

Garurumon slammed himself into Seadramon's face and dug in with all four claws. Seadramon thrashed wildly as Garurumon continued to gnaw at him from every angle. In the struggle, Seadramon's tail slackened, allowing Matt to fall back into the water and make a mad dash for dry land. Seadramon meanwhile gave a terrific series of bucks, finally tossing Garurumon from his head. Garurumon back-flipped toward land, making a graceful landing next to the others. Seadramon shook his head for a second before his eyes came to rest again on Garurumon.

"Wow," said Joe.

"Totally cool!" said Tai.

"No kidding," said young Matt, still gasping for air.

"That's Garurumon!" Tentomon explained. "He's a powerful wolfish digimon with fur as hard as diamonds and an attack that'll send almost anyone down for the count: Howling Blaster!"

Seadramon again pulled his head back as he got ready to fire his Ice Blast a third time, but Garurumon was ready for him now.

"Ice Blast!"

"Howling Blaster!"

The two attacks discharged and fired toward each other, colliding in the middle between Seadramon and Garurumon, each trying to overpower the other.

"Get him, Garurumon!" the elder Matt cheered.

"Come on!" shouted Yolei.

"You can do it!" said Davis.

Garurumon's eyes were awash with fury, as he forced all his power into the attack. The blistering cold attack punched through Seadramon's technique, knocking the sea monster for a loop and sending him cowering back to the bottom of the lake. With the threat of Seadramon dealt with, Garurumon collapsed into a laying position and de-digivolved back into Gabumon. The reptilian, fur coat-wearing digimon lay on his belly, tired but strangely happy.

"Gabumon! You saved me… you saved all of us," said the young Matt, still quite surprised.

"Ah, it was nothing," Gabumon panted.

The younger Matt moved in, giving Gabumon an approving scratch behind the ears.

"Wow," said the elder Matt. "I think I've been doing this too long."

"Huh?" asked Davis.

"Look at that," said Matt. "That was my first real digimon fight. That was the first time I really began to think about myself as being really valuable. Somehow, Gabumon, someone I hardly knew from a dimension I'd never heard of, actually cared for me. He threw himself into danger, just because we were partners. He actually cared about me… I hadn't felt that in a long time."

Without warning, an extremely bright light welled up beneath the surface of the water. A wave of distortion, not unlike those that surrounded NightmareOmnimon, shot out from the lake, washing over the entire scene. Everything and everyone, except for Davis, Yolei, and the elder Matt, seemed to melt away into infinite darkness. Now, all that remained was the glassy surface of the water with the strong light dwelling therein.

"What was that?" asked Yolei.

"That would be what we need to do now," said Matt, a look of renewed determination in his eyes. "Come on. NightmareOmnimon's waiting for us, and I think we'll find him in that lake."

Davis gulped nervously. He had a definite sense of foreboding about all this, but he knew that he would have to go to face his destiny along with all the others. Yolei had the same misgivings, but much stronger than her apprehensions was her desire to just get it all over with. Matt took point, walking forward into the water. Davis and Yolei followed close behind him.

By this time, Ken, Cody, TK, and Sora had been stuck in the lobby of the familiar Odaiba convention center, along with hundreds of other people. A cadre of Bakemon watched over every move being made, or at least they tried to.

"Stupid time travel," Sora said with frustration, reclining on a wooden bench.

"Can nothing ever go right today?" TK sighed as he sat on the cold floor.

"So where, uh, when exactly are we?" asked Cody.

"Smart money says four years ago," said TK. "August 4th, 1999. Myotismon has come to town and we're all stuck here under the watchful eyes of his cronies."

"Swell," said Ken, pacing nervously. "Now we're even further in the past."

"The question is, what do we do about it?" asked TK.

"There's not much we can do," said Sora. "These Bakemon will be watching us like hawks. I remember we did make a few escape attempts though, so maybe we can get out during one of those."

"Okay, so what do we do in the meantime?" asked Ken.

"Looks like we're waiting it out," said TK.

"Ooh, this is so irritating," Cody said, sounding unusually agitated. "It seems like we've either been locked in a massive battle or just sitting around doing nothing all day!"

"Cody's right," said Ken. "I need to do something that doesn't involve just sitting around or trying not to get killed. I think I'll go talk to some of the other people here. Who wants to come with me?"

"I'm up for it!" Cody said immediately.

"Count me out," said TK. "I need to sit here for a few minutes to clear my head."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Sora. "The last thing I need right now is to run into myself. Explaining that would take more energy than I've got to spare right now."

"Well, alright," said Ken. "We'll be back soon."

Ken and Cody took off, wandering amongst dozens of nameless faces. They all seemed scared and uncertain. Bakemon were everywhere, hovering menacingly. All exits were under close guard.

"Security looks tight," said Ken.

"If only Armadillomon was here…" said Cody.

"Hey, don't worry, Cody," said Ken. "We'll find him again. We'll all be back together again soon enough, and then we'll put a stop to NightmareOmnimon for good."

"But…" Cody hesitated. "But what if… you know."

"Huh?"

"What if we can't win?"

"Cody, he might be very strong. He might be the strongest of all digimon. The fact remains that he is a digimon though, and that makes him mortal, just like everything else. Thanks to Protomon, the virus has no way of escaping from that body. I know that if we all work together, we can put a stop to this, just like we've always done before."

Cody stopped walking.

"But… what if I don't want to kill him?"

"What?" Ken asked, also coming to a stop.

"I don't want to kill him. It's too much. We've already seen so many people and digimon get hurt or killed… I just don't think I can do it."

Ken sighed and closed his eyes. After a moment of quiet reflection, he knelt down so that he was eye to eye with Cody.

"I know what you mean," said Ken after a few seconds. "Believe me, I know it all too well. When I remember who I was back then—back when I was the Emperor—I feel so terrible. I can't even count how many innocent digimon I tortured and killed. I can't begin to imagine what it was like for them. I would give anything to see this all resolved without anyone else being hurt. Believe it or not, I want to save NightmareOmnimon more than anyone else does, but that's just not going to happen. Trying to save his life might mean that hundreds or even thousands of others might lose theirs. I know it's not a perfect solution, but we're the only ones who can stop him now. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Cody said, hanging his head.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Just think of this as one last big fight. After it's over with, none of us will have to do anything like this ever again."

"Psst!" someone whispered from behind Ken. "Hey!"

Ken and Cody turned their attention to the source of the sound. It was a boy tied to a wooden bench with his arms behind his back. He had thick, dark brown hair that hung down slightly over the right side of his face and matching brown eyes. He wore a yellow T-shirt with a black vest, brown shorts, tennis shoes and a pair of dog tags around his neck. He looked to be roughly twelve years old.

"Did you call us?" asked Cody.

"Keep it down!" the boy whispered back. "The Bakemon will hear you!"

Ken and Cody looked around at the nearby Bakemon, making sure they weren't paying too much attention. Then, slowly and subtly, the two crept toward the boy, sitting next to him on the bench.

"What is it?" Ken whispered.

"I could use a hand with these ropes," the boy said.

"I'm not having any luck at all," said a small, squeaky voice from behind the boy's back.

Ken and Cody immediately looked behind the boy's back, where they saw a small, purple and white digimon with a body like a Demiveemon and ears like a Koromon.

"Uh, Feramon?" asked the boy. "What does 'keep out of sight' mean to you?"

"Hey, that IS Feramon!" Cody exclaimed. "Does this mean…?"

"Hey, what's your name?" asked Ken.

"Oh, it's Jack," said the boy. "Look, as much as I enjoy introductions, these Bakemon are looking pretty edgy, and I for one won't be sitting around when they decide what to do with all of us."

"Oh, right, of course," said Ken, still visibly shaken that this was indeed the newest addition to the group, only years younger.

Ken began to work on the knotted ropes binding Jack's arms, while Cody began work on the ropes holding his legs.

"Hurry up," Jack urged nervously. "They could look this way any second."

"No, no, no," said Feramon. "You're pulling on the wrong end. Here, try this one."

"Hey, do you want this done quick, or do you want it done right?" asked Ken.

"Quick would be preferable," said Jack, noticing the approaching Bakemon patrol.

"Got it!"

"Got it!"

"Sweet!" Jack said, rubbing his now free wrists and moving his feet around.

"Hey, can we ask you a few questions?" asked Ken.

"Shoot," said Jack.

"First of all, how did you—"

"Hey! You!" a Bakemon called out. "What are you doing?!"

"Uh-oh!" said Cody.

"We'd better book!" said Jack.

Ken, Cody, and Jack, with Feramon holding onto his shirt for dear life, took off running further into the middle of the crowd, hoping to lose their pursuer. After a mad dash across the crowded lobby, they had returned to where Sora and TK were relaxing.

"What's up, guys?" asked TK, noting his friends' urgent demeanor.

"No time…" Ken panted.

"Bakemon… chasing…" Cody wheezed.

"Who's that?" asked Sora, pointing to Jack.

Before anyone could answer, six Bakemon floated down from above, surrounding the five humans with angry looks in their eyes.

"Pathetic humans!" said one Bakemon.

"We should punish them!" said another.

"But Lord Myotismon ordered us not to kill anyone," said a third.

"Relax," said the first. "He'll never know the difference."

"Hey, you're right!" said the third with an evil grin.

"Dark Claw!" all six called out at once.

But the attack never came. Instead, the entire scene had simply vanished into a sea of darkness. The building, the people, and the digimon had all simply vanished.

"What happened?" asked Sora.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Cody asked.

"Who?" asked TK.

"Jack," said Ken. "That was him with us, or rather him four years ago.

"What? Really?" asked TK in surprise.

"Hey, quiet down," said Sora. "Look."

All eyes focused dead ahead, where a very faint light began to appear in the midst of the darkness. It was like a pillar, shooting up and down. At the moment it was almost invisible, but over the next few seconds it grew brighter and more intense until it cut through the emptiness like a blade. The pure white light was ominous and foreboding. It was reminiscent of the cold, cruel light that inhabited NightmareOmnimon's eyes.

"I think we all know what we need to do," said Sora.

"He's waiting for us on the other side of that," said TK.

"No way around it now," said Ken.

"All we can do is push right on through the middle," said Cody.

All four of them headed into the light together.

"This was not exactly your most brilliant plan to date!" Tai shouted sarcastically.

"MY plan?!" Izzy shouted back. "It was Joe who said we should go looking for the others."

"Hey! How was I supposed to know?!" Joe asked defensively.

"Duck!" shouted Tai as another large piece of flying debris whizzed past them.

Only yards away, Greymon and Parrotmon had locked claws in a deadly embrace. Greymon braced his legs and dug his toes into the asphalt, pressing against Parrotmon with all his strength.

"Did you just not remember this happening?!" Tai yelled.

"Hey, what are the odds we'd appear on that particular night?!" Joe retorted.

"Guys, I REALLY think it might be best to continue this conversation later!" Izzy shouted.

"Izzy has a point," said Joe. "Let's get out of here. I for one don't want to end up on the bottom of someone's foot."

Izzy and Joe turned to go, but then they noticed that Tai didn't seem to be coming with them.

"Hey Tai, what's up?" asked Izzy.

"Look over there," Tai said as he pointed to where the much younger versions of Kari and himself sat, fixated on the fight.

"Yeah? What about them?" asked Joe.

"They're… uh, we're just sitting there," said Tai. "I remember it so vividly. I was absolutely terrified. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life as I was this night."

With a mighty heave, Parrotmon rolled Greymon onto his back and discharged his Sonic Destroyer, collapsing the narrow causeway on top of the great dinosaur.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're totally different now," said Joe. "I mean, come on, you're the bravest guy I think any of us have ever met."

"You're wrong," said Tai, watching himself carefully. "That little kid right there is much braver than me."

"What?" asked the other two.

"Just look at him," said Tai. "He's absolutely terrified, and yet…"

The young Tai sobbed, knowing that Parrotmon could strike at any moment, and Greymon seemed to be down for the count. He had no clue what to do. It was all so confusing. Then he spied the whistle hanging around his little sister's neck. An idea came to him.

"Well, it worked on me," said Tai.

The boy grabbed the whistle firmly and then filled his lungs to the breaking point. He then locked his lips onto the whistle and blew with all his might, producing a loud, shrill ringing that echoed between the closely spaced buildings. He blew and blew until he simply could not sustain it anymore, finally let go to gasp for breath. He looked up at Greymon, just as the monster's large, pink eye opened wide.

"And yet he faces his fears with more courage than I've ever seen," Tai said to his friends. "I haven't felt courage like that in a long time."

"Well maybe this is your chance," said Izzy.

"What do you mean?" asked Tai.

"Think about it," said Izzy. "Right now, we need your courage and leadership more than ever."

"He's right, Tai," Joe chimed in. "Without you, we would've all fallen apart long ago. We need you if we're going to stop NightmareOmnimon."

"You can't sit around here and envy that little kid," said Izzy. "But you can try to bring part of him back. Bring out that courage again and NightmareOmnimon can be beaten."

Tai thought about this for a moment. A broad smile slowly crossed his face and he gave the other two a thumbs-up.

"Let's do this," said Tai.

A brilliant flash of light overcame the three of them, and then they were gone.

"Seems nice enough," said Kari, remarking on the cozy look of the small apartment.

"More importantly, it looks like no one's home," said Michael. "Come on, let's just get out while the getting's good."

"Whoa," said Jack as he stepped inside and closed the balcony door. "I can't believe it."

"What is it?" asked Mimi.

"This is…er, was my apartment," said Jack. "I haven't been here in years though. Looks just like it used to."

"So what do you think we're doing here?" asked Kari.

"No, you don't understand," said Jack. "I mean it looks EXACTLY like it used to. I think we've gone even further into the past."

"Oh well that's just great," said Willis. "What could that stupid virus be up to?"

"I don't know, but as long as we're separated from our digimon we're vulnerable," said Michael.

"Let's just try not run into any of your family, Jack," said Kari.

"No kidding," said Mimi. "That sounds like an awkward conversation to have."

"Don't worry," said Jack. "My dad's probably off in some other country for some sort of business deal, and my mom will probably be down at the courthouse, given the time of day."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Willis.

"Because that's the way things have always been," said Jack. "When your dad's an executive for an international corporation and your mom is one of the busiest lawyers in the city, you don't see either of them very often."

"Oh Jack…" Kari said. "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. I'm used to it and we have bigger concerns at the moment. Besides, it's not like there aren't any perks to it. Confidentially, my family is loaded."

"But still…" said Kari.

"Shh!" Jack said suddenly. "Quiet!"

The others listened carefully. After a moment they began to hear sounds from behind one of the doors to another room inside the apartment. All five DigiDestined froze in their tracks, not knowing what to do. A moment later the door opened with a creak and out stepped a boy no more than eight years old and clad in teal, baggy pajamas. He had bushy brown hair that covered part of the right side of his face just slightly. He looked at the five intruders, his brown eyes growing as wide as saucers.

"Agh!" the boy cried out. "Wh-wh-who are you people?!"

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down now. Calm down," said Willis.

"Don't worry, we're not here to do anything bad," said Mimi.

"Hey, who're these guys?" asked a puny voice from behind the boy.

A moment later, a small purple ball-like digimon bounced out from the room the boy had just emerged from.

"Quick Geromon! Get 'em!" shouted the boy.

"What? You want me to fight?"

"Well do SOMETHING!"

"Give me a break here! I just hatched!"

"Okay, just calm down, Jacob," said Jack.

"Huh?" asked the boy. "How do you know my name?"

"I can explain everything, but first you have to stay calm," said Jack. "Did you just receive a device like this one?"

Jack presented his digivice to the boy.

"Hey! That looks just like mine!" said the boy as he produced a similar device.

"Hey, cool!" said Geromon.

"Now I want you both to be calm," said Jack. "We're not here to hurt you. We just need to talk to you about Geromon. Now I know that no one thinks clearly on an empty stomach. As I recall, there's a stack of pancakes sitting on the table for you, and they're not getting any warmer. Why don't you go fill up and then we can all talk. Would it be okay if Mimi here talked to you while you ate?"

"Um, sure, I guess so," said Jacob.

"Food?" asked Geromon.

"Alright, grab something to eat and I'll be happy to explain all of this. "Mimi? Could you maybe talk with them?"

"No problem," Mimi winked.

"Oh, and make sure Geromon doesn't eat ALL of it," added Jack.

Geromon bounded over to the table, followed by Jacob and Mimi.

"That's you, isn't it?" whispered Kari.

"Yeah," said Jack. "Is it that obvious?"

"Definitely," said Kari. "Although I must say, you were pretty cute back then."

"What happened?" asked Michael jokingly.

"Very funny," said Jack.

"So… um, Jacob was it?" asked Willis.

"Don't start," said Jack. "I hate that name. Ever since I was eleven I've always called myself Jack and so has everyone else… well, except my parents, but you know how parents can be."

"Well I think Jacob's a great name," said Kari.

"Regardless, hanging out with 'mini-me' over there isn't going to get us anywhere," said Jack. "We've got to hurry and find NightmareOmnimon."

"Alright, alright, we'll go soon," said Michael. "Just relax for a minute."

"We're not going to accomplish anything by just sitting here on our hands!" said Jack.

"Whoa, calm down," said Willis. "What's the deal?"

"The DEAL?! I'll tell you the deal! Right now, there's a virus out there with unlimited power, a really bad attitude, and nothing to lose! One way or another it's got to go down, so either you're helping me or I'm doing it alone!"

"Where is all this coming from?" asked Willis. "Rushing in blindly is probably just what that thing wants."

"Hey! YOU weren't possessed by that thing! YOU haven't shared a mind with it! You don't have a clue what it's thinking! That… that THING must be stopped! It needs to pay for what it did!"

"To you?" Michael suggested.

"To everyone!" Jack said, trying to keep his voice low.

"But mostly to you," said Michael.

"Whatever," said Jack.

"No, I think that's it," said Michael. "This isn't about stopping the virus from destroying the world as we know it. This is about hurting him more than he hurt you. He crushed your pride so now you're going to return the favor."

"You have no clue what you're talking about."

"I think Michael's right," said Willis.

"So now you're ganging up on me?" asked Jack.

"We're not ganging up on you," said Willis. "I just think you're showing the darker aspect of your crest right now. Your honor might make you strong, but it's your pride that's hurting you."

"This is ridiculous," said Jack.

"Jack, you should listen," said Kari. "I've noticed it too."

"What?" asked Jack.

"I know you don't want to hear it," said Kari. "But you need to. Being too proud can only hurt you, not only in our fight against NightmareOmnimon, but throughout your life. The first step to seeing that is realizing that you are part of a team. You can't go off to face NightmareOmnimon on your own. None of us can do that. The true strength of the DigiDestined doesn't lie in our digimon, but in our teamwork."

"Come on dude," said Willis. "We're all going to need to be on the same frequency here. You're just as important to the team as the rest of us are; no more, no less."

"Look at that young lad over there," said Michael, motioning toward the table where Mimi sat, chuckling to herself as she watched the young Jack and Geromon fighting over the last pancake. "Just look at yourself. I can see something in that boy that tells me he's passionate. I see something in him that makes me think that he believes in himself and in his friends. I see that same thing in you, Jack, but it's hidden beneath your pride."

Jack looked long and hard at the young Jack and Geromon. He thought back to how it was all those years ago. It seemed like such a long time since he'd first met his partner digimon. He'd changed in many ways, some of which, he now saw, may not have been for the better.

"You're right," said Jack, very nearly tearing up. "I can't believe I didn't see this before."

"Hey, sometimes we can't always see our mistakes," said Willis. "When that happens, we can count on our friends to let us know, just as we can count on friends to lift us up when we see too many of our mistakes."

"We're trying to do what's best for you, Jack," said Kari. "In my opinion, that's what friendship is. I would love more than anything if after this is all over, we can all continue being friends."

"You can count on it," said Jack.

"Me too," said Mimi, who had quietly crept up on the group.

"How much of that did you hear?" asked Jack.

"Enough," said Mimi. "It was very sweet."

"Yeah, well, don't get all mushy on me," said Jack, clearly trying to cover up his emotional state. "Now come on. We've got important things to do and people to see."

"Alright," said Kari with a warm smile. "I think we can all go now."

"Are you guys leaving?" asked the young Jack.

"Yeah," said Mimi. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll see all of us again someday."

"That's good. You're really nice. I can't wait to see you again, Mimi."

"Hey Mimi, what'd you two talk about?" Michael whispered.

"What can I tell ya'? I've got a way with kids."

There was a bright flash, and the five DigiDestined disappeared. The stage was now set. The players were ready to go. These fifteen DigiDestined had been through many trials. They overcame many obstacles. Now, only one thing stood between them and peace: NightmareOmnimon. The Corrupter was waiting for them to arrive, and when they did, a battle would take place to decide the fate of all worlds.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Don't go anywhere, because the next chapter will be the final battle with NightmareOmnimon. Will the DigiDestined come out on top once again, or will the evil computer virus exact his ultimate revenge? I expect that chapter to take a little while, so if you're looking for suggested reading, check out chapter three of this work if you want to refresh your memory on the conversation that led to the one Ken and Cody just had. Until next time…]


	39. The Ultimate Duel: Shattered Reflections

[Well you have all been very patient, so here it is at long last. The final battle with the Corrupter is about to begin. The face of both the Digital World and the real world hangs in tha balance as we ge ready to see the full potential of what these opposing forces can do. Don't blink, because you just might miss something. And so, without further ado, I give you "The Ultimate Duel: Shattered Reflections"…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The bright flash had overwhelmed Tai, but as quickly as it had hit him it faded into utter darkness. He felt like he was floating once again; it was like being underwater, and he would have thought just that if it weren't for the biting cold air all around him. His heart began to race. He was having difficulty thinking straight. Suddenly his feet came into contact with a hard, gritty surface and he collapsed. He realized that the darkness before him was due to the fact that his eyes were closed, which he hadn't even realized. It was like his whole body had been numb and now he was slowly coming out of it. As his eyes began to open again he grabbed at the ground and found it to be covered in a gritty powder. Once his sight began to focus he noticed that he was lying on a slab of granite, covered in a gray rock dust. As he looked up he realized that the slab came to an abrupt edge only two yards ahead of him. Beyond lay absolutely nothing. From what he could surmise he was in an enormous sphere, the radius of which he couldn't even begin to guess at. The outer wall was like a swirling, chaotic, deep purple mass. Small bits of debris floated throughout this place with scattered pieces of larger debris of virtually any kind of material imaginable. Positioned at seemingly random places were more platforms like the one on which Tai himself stood, floating in this sea of debris; they were sections of rock that looked like they had been cut from the ground with a smooth upper surface and jutting, irregular undersides. These platforms varied widely in size from only a few feet across to nearly half a mile.

"Weird…" Tai said, being taken aback by the remarkably long echo of his own voice.

Tai stood up again, noticing that whenever something moved it left a trail behind it, like a series of afterimages all run together that took a couple seconds to fade.

"Tai? Is that you?" asked Sora's voice, echoing much like Tai's voice had done.

"Sora?" asked Tai. "Where are you?"

"I… I don't know," said Sora. "I can barely see. Where are you?"

"Hang on, Sora," said Tai, trying to take a step, but finding it to be a whole new experience in this place.

It was like trying to walk when one was both nauseous and completely numb. Tai immediately fell to the ground. The trails left by everything had his eyes very confused, and the echo of his fall rang in his head. He lay there for a moment, feeling absolutely sick to his stomach.

"Tai? What was that?" Sora called.

"Nothing…" Tai groaned, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees.

As he turned to look around, Tai's gaze fell upon Sora. She was only a couple of yards away on the same platform as him. She sat in an awkward position, still trying to get her bearings.

"Sora! Over here!" Tai groaned.

Sora began to look all around thanks to the echo, but after a few seconds she was finally able to locate Tai.

"Oh there you are," Sora said with a sigh of relief. "What is this place?"

"That's a very good question," said a voice from above.

Tai and Sora looked up to see another platform about twenty feet above them. Matt's face appeared over the edge, looking down at them.

"Hey Matt!" Sora called out.

"Hang on, I'm coming down," said Matt.

"Are you crazy?" asked Tai. "You'll break your neck."

Before Tai's message could sink in, Matt had hopped over the edge, falling with an unusual lightness toward the platform below, landing softly next to the other two DigiDestined.

"Wow," said Matt. "Looks like the normal rules of physicas need not apply around here."

"You seem awfully spry," Tai said, holding his head to keep everything from spinning.

"I was dizzy at first too, but I was feeling better in only a couple of seconds," Matt remarked.

"You'll excuse us if we don't cheer for you," said Sora, rubbing her temples.

"Hey guys!" shouted a voice from off to the right.

All six eyes turned and saw Mimi on another rocky surface about fifty feet away. She was waving to them and was accompanied by Jack, Michael, and Yolei; the latter three ranged in condition from nauseous to barely cognizant.

"Hey Mimi!" Matt returned.

"I think I'm gonna hurl…" Jack said as he stuck his head over the side of the landing in preparation for the worst.

"Oh don't be such a baby," Yolei said as she shakily began to slowly stand.

"You ladies have quite the constitutions," said Michael, still sitting.

"Hey, I think I'm feeling a little bit better," Tai remarked as his head began to clear.

"Whoop-dee-doo…" Sora groaned sarcastically.

"Where's the party?" Willis called from below.

All eyes turned toward the slab of rock below which held Joe, Cody, Willis, and Izzy.

"Prodigious…" Izzy said in awe as he looked at his surroundings. "It's like some kind of… some kind of… some kind of something."

"I'd say it looks like a temporal trash heap," said Willis. "Perhaps some kind of temporal anomaly."

"This is so weird," said Cody.

"Perfect," said Joe, flat on his back from being so sick. "I think I'm allergic to temporal anomalies."

"Just don't sneeze," said Jack, who still looked rather green around the gills. "I don't think my ears would ever stop ringing."

"Hey, now I'm feeling a little better too," said Sora.

"Me too," said Michael.

"Hey! Don't tell me everyone forgot about us!" shouted the indignant voice of Davis.

The others tried to find the source for a few seconds before finally seeing the small slab nearly a hundred feet away from any of them. On it stood Davis, supporting Ken on his shoulder, and also TK and Kari, who looked dazed but not too bad.

"We're all here," said Tai.

"Not all of us," said Ken. "Where are the digimon?"

"Worry no more," said a commanding voice from the heavens.

A brilliant light shone down from overhead and several large, dark shapes appeared within. GrandKuwagamon materialized first, swooping down in the middle of the group. Wargreymon, Metalgarurumon, and Imperialdramon followed after them, all coming to a stop close to their partners. Then came Rosemon, Valkyrimon, Vikemon, Phoenixmon, and Metalseadremon. After those five came MegaGargomon, Kerpymon, and Diaboromon along with HerculesKabuterimon, Preciomon, Bahadramon, Magnadramon and Seraphimon. All of the digimon came in close to their partners, happy to be reunited again.

"Where were you guys?" asked Tai.

"I don't know, really," said Wargreymon. "It was all a very strange experience."

"I hear that," Tai said sympathetically.

"You feeling okay, Jack?" asked Bahadramon.

"Yeah," Jack said as he rose cautiously to his feet. "I don't know. Something about this place makes me a little queasy."

"Izzy, do you have any thoughts on what all this is?" asked HerculesKabuterimon.

"I could only make guesses," said Izzy, still utterly fascinated by the remarkable properties of this place. "Without further research, one guess is as good as another."

"So where's NightmareOmnimon?" asked TK.

"We'd hoped you knew," said Magnadramon.

"Let's be careful. This is probably a trap of some kind," Kari speculated.

"Without a doubt," said Seraphimon. "And that means that now is the time to play our trump card."

"What?" asked Davis.

"Have you been holding out on us?" asked Ken.

"Not quite," said Seraphimon. "It was more about cautious hesitation than anything else."

"Well don't keep us waiting any longer!" Matt yelled, having overheard the conversation. "What's the plan?"

"Alright, everyone pay attention!" Seraphimon called out. "There's no time to spare. Protomon entrusted all of us with his great power, but it's quite obvious that we have not been faring well against NightmareOmnimon. I did not want to do this, but Protomon's powers must be recombined."

"Will that be enough to win?" asked Vikemon.

"I don't know," said Seraphimon. "Under normal circumstances we'd be able to face NightmareOmnimon on a level playing field, but his power has been growing exponentially since he was formed. After acquiring the last piece of code he needed from the D-Reaper [see ch.30], he was able to bring his true weapon online, which will allow him to delete any digital information with ease, thus making him unimaginably more dangerous. On the other hand, we have the power of Protomon on our side, and that awesome energy is not to be taken lightly. When all of that power is recombined, it just might be enough to put a stop to this."

"So let's do it!" said Davis.

"But who gets all the power?" asked Magnadramon.

"That's what we have to decide," said Seraphimon.

Suddenly, everything began to shake violently, nearly throwing most of the DigiDestined from their platforms. Sparks of energy like bolts of lightning shot from the distant walls of the immense arena, tearing through whatever they touched. Everything grew darker, brightened only by the intermittent bolts of energy. Before the whole group appeared a pillar of searing white light, stretching up and down as far as the eye could see. The column pulsated irregularly with the violent, surging power that could only belong to NightmareOmnimon.

"Quickly! There's no time!" Seraphimon shouted.

"I will take it!" said Bahadramon. "Let me have it!"

"No, it must be the strongest warrior we have!" said Magnadramon. "Any extra boost of strength counts in this battle!"

"Then it should be Seraphimon!" said Rosemon.

"Impossible," said Seraphimon. "I must be the one to perform the transfer, so I can't take on the power myself."

"Well what about Imperialdramon?" Davis called. "If he performs a mode change—"

"I'm not strong enough to perform that on my own," said Imperialdramon. "I would have to DNA digivolve."

The silhouette of NightmareOmnimon appeared within the pillar, his deadly gaze staring at the DigiDestined.

"I don't know if my tail ring could sustain a DNA digivolution with the addition of Protomon's power," said Magnadramon. "It might be overloaded. The only safe way to do it would be—"

The spire of light vanished in a brilliant flash, leaving NightmareOmnimon there, his great red cape billowing and his black armor glinting in the flashes of light.

"I told you not to follow me…" NightmareOmnimon's booming voice echoed just like the voices of all the others. "Now you will pay for all you've done to me!"

NightmareOmnimon lifted his left arm. The mouth of the BlackMetalgarurumon head that served as his hand popped open and revealed his Cataclysm Gun. Red sparks curled around the cold weapon, indicating that it was being used in conjunction with his own special weapon so it would delete whatever it touched.

"Oh no you don't!" Bahadramon yelled as he charged forth at full speed.

Before NightmareOmnimon could squeeze off a shot, Bahadramon rammed his full strength against the underside of the massive gun, throwing NightmareOmnimon's aim off. NightmareOmnimon discharged his weapon a moment later and the shot went wildly off course, heading to the far edge of the battlefield and generating a world-shattering explosion.

"I help!" Diaboromon shouted, leaping into the fray.

"Whatever you're gonna' do, make it quick!" Kerpymon ordered as he headed forth at full speed.

"The only way is if I sacrifice my tail ring all together!" Magnadramon finished.

"What?" asked Kari.

"If my ring is embedded within the fused digimon entirely, it will form a nearly unbreakable bond! It should be more than enough to contain Protomon's power, and we'll have a chance to win!"

"I have an idea!" said Davis. "If we can do DNA digivolving again we can get both Omnimon and Imperialdramon, and then Omnimon can give his power to Imperialdramon so he can mode change to Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

Kerpymon gave NightmareOmnimon a kick to the head, only to find it minimally effective. Diaboromon tore at NightmareOmnimon tooth and nail, but was getting nowhere. Bahadramon slashed at the Cataclysm Gun, desperate to disable it.

"That won't work!" said Magnadramon. "The ring can only be used once at the beginning of the process. It must be either Imperialdramon Fighter Mode or Omnimon that will fight!"

"Better pick fast!" said Rosemon. "Those three won't be able to hold him off for long!"

"Then it's obvious who it has to be," said Ken. "We all know Imperialdramon may be powerful, but Omnimon is stronger by far."

"I hate to admit it, but he's right," said Davis.

"So what do we have to do?" asked Metalseadramon.

"Just be ready to get really small, really fast," said Seraphimon as he locked his hands together and began focussing his energy.

With a swoop from his arm, NightmareOmnimon cleared away Bahadramon and Diaboromon. With a knee to the gut, Kerpymon went down.

"You three go first," said NightmareOmnimon as his Infernal Sword sprung forth, an evil red aura running over it.

"Wargreymon! Metalgarurumon! Get ready!" shouted Magnadramon.

"All set!" said Wargreymon.

"Let 'er rip!" said Metalgarurumon.

Magnadramon opened her claw upward. In a burst of golden light, the small tail ring appeared in her palm. She didn't waste a second, immediately hurling it at the space directly between Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon. As the ring drew closer to the two it began to glow intensely. Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon shut their eyes tight, sensing their lives were about to change forever. In the very instant that the golden ring was directly between the two digimon, they both exploded in golden light and were sucked into the middle where the ring was.

NightmareOmnimon stood poised to strike down Kerpymon, Bahadramon and Diaboromon, but the flash of light caused him to hesitate, allowing Diaboromon just enough time to fire his Web Wrecker at the dark knight's face, stunning him for a few seconds. Bahadramon caught Diaboromon by the shoulders and spread his wings, flying back to the group with all speed possible. Kerpymon used a rocky platform to rebound back toward the others, flying alongside Bahadramon and Diaboromon. As NightmareOmnimon finished wiping the smoke from his eyes, he saw the glowing golden ball of light that pierced his dark aura.

"This is it!" Seraphimon shouted.

Suddenly, each digimon was engulfed in a field of blue energy, allowing only their sillhouettes to be seen. One by one, the energy that had engulfed each digimon abandoned them and headed straight toward the burgeoning knight of justice. As the light left the digimon they were drained of not only the powers gifted to them by Protomon, but most of their own power as well, draining each of them in turn down to their Fresh forms. Even Bahadramon, Diaboromon, and Kerpymon reverted while still in the air. Luckily enough though they all plopped right into the arms of their partners. Seraphimon was the last to lose his light. As he reverted to Poyomon, he left eith the parting words: "We have done all we can. The rest is up to you now…"

Now energized with immense energy, the holy kinght was ready to take shape once again. First came the arms, bathed in a golden glow; then came legs, his torso, his head, and his glorious cape. With an explosion of energy, the light left the newly formed Omnimon, shooting out and even damaging NightmareOmnimon as it passed through him, causing him to cry out in pain.

And there it was. Standing not a hundred feet from one another where two incredibly powerful digimon of nearly identical design. They both knew that this battle had been brewing for a long time, and now it had come. They looked each other up and down, trying to gauge each others true power.

"So this is what it has come to," said NightmareOmnimon with a wicked sneer. "This is the toughest opponent I ever need face. Pathetic."

"I shall not let you win," said Omnimon. "For the sake of all life everywhere, I will defeat you."

"I don't know what Protomon was thinking," said NightmareOmnimon. "He could have beaten me, but he chose to entrust you fools with that duty. And now it has cost him everything."

"Actually, I could tell you what he was thinking," said Omnimon. "I have more than his power within me. Protomon's mind lives on in my own. His memories and wisdom guide my hand. I know more about you than you yourself do, virus."

"Laughable!" NightmareOmnimon scoffed. "No one knows more than me!"

"Well I do," said Omnimon. "I know everything about you now. I know the source of all that vaunted knowledge of yours. I know your strengths. I know your weaknesses. I know the scope of the Grand Scheme, and I know that killing you here and now will take us one giant step forward in stopping your plans once and for all."

"Enough talk!" NightmareOmnimon barked. "I thirst for your BLOOD!"

"Then come and take a drink… if you can…"

NightmareOmnimon bolted forward with his Infernal Sword ready, but Omnimon quickly readied his Transcended Sword and hit the attack away, quickly spinning completely around and slashing NightmareOmnimon across the chest. NightmareOmnimon yelped and backed off in pain. He didn't even see the brutal kick to the face that came at him a second later. NightmareOmnimon was hurled back through the empty space of the arena with Omnimon in hot pursuit. NightmareOmnimon tried to take a shot with his Cataclysm Gun, but Omnimon dodged and the shot missed by a mile. Luckily for NightmareOmnimon, he came upon on another rocky platform, much larger than most, and landed firmly. Omnimon landed on the same slab a few seconds later. NightmareOmnimon charged with his blade ready, but Omnimon blocked with his own weapon and counterattacked. NightmareOmnimon's amazing reflexes allowed him to dodge the blow and come in for another swing that Omnimon was able to duck under, but just barely. Omnimon tried to thrust his sword up into NightmareOmnimon's chest, but the dark digimon bent way back, causing Omnimon's blade to pass over his belly by a matter of inches. NightmareOmnimon used this awkward position to throw his foot against Omnimon's head, catapulting him off the platform. Of course, all of this was nearly indecipherable to the DigiDestined and other digimon because all movement left those strange trails in this place, yet the two Omnimon seemed strangely comfortable with it. Omnimon fell for at least three hundred feet before he managed to catch his right arm on another giant slab of rock. With a mighty rush of strength, Omnimon forced himself up onto the landing. He rested on his hands and knees for a moment, but that was all NightmareOmnimon needed. The black knight lept from his own perch, his blade glistening with red energy and pointed directly downward. Omnimon sense the approach of his nemesis just in time and rolled out of the way mere milliseconds before NightmareOmnimon came crashing down, his Infernal Sword piercing all the way through the stone stage and becoming wedged. Omnimon gracefully came out of his roll, standing up and turning to face his nemesis with such speed that his feet were still sliding along the ground. He took swift aim with his Supreme Cannon and fired. NightmareOmnimon desperately tried to free his sword as the bolt approached, but he was not fast enough. The attack struck him directly in the face, snapping his sword of at the hilt and launching him backward into the abyss. Omnimon dug his own sword into the surface on which he stood to bring himself to a halt before taking off running and jumped after NightmareOmnimon.

"Get 'im Omnimon!" Tai cheered.

"You can do it!" said Matt.

"Keep that guard up!" Chibimon warned.

"Yeah!" Nyokimon chimed in.

Omnimon hutled forward into a seemingly empty void, uncertain of NightmareOmnimon's location. But suddenly, NightmareOmnimon was coming at him like a bat out of hell. Omnimon didn't even have time to raise a defense before NightmareOmnimon rammed his forehead into Omnimon's face, stunning the latter and bringing the former to a halt. Acting quickly, NightmareOmnimon grabbed Omnimon by the right arm with both hands and flipped him over his shoulder, throwing him downward at an incredible velocity. Once Omnimon was on his way, NightmareOmnimon discharged his Cataclysm Gun several times in Omnimon's direction. By that point Omnimon had regained his senses and saw the approaching bolts. He immediately withrew his weapons and folded his arms in front of his chest. Omnimon was just barely able to dodge the first two attacks, but the third stuck him head-on. Omnimon was engulfed in the immense explosion and hurled downward evern faster. Luckily for him, there were several more platforms to break his fall, but with all the speed Omnimon had picked up, he smashed through the first three all too easily, just barely managing to stop from going straight through the fourth. Reddish smoke rose off Omnimon's armor as he kneeled on the ground. He knew he was very lucky to have survived that last attack, but the battle was far from over. NightmareOmnimon landed on a nearby platform a second later, observing Omnimon with keen interest.

"You're stronger than I gave you credit for," said NightmareOmnimon. "I didn't think any digital lifeform could overpower my deletion mode ability."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Omnimon panted.

"Actually, I won't," said NightmareOmnimon. "Instead I think I'll just kill you right here and now!"

NightmareOmnimon fired his Cataclysm Gun at the platform on which Omnimon stood, but Omnimon lept into the air just in time and flipped over to where NightmareOmnimon stood, landing immediately behind him. Before NightmareOmnimon could make a move, Omnimon elbowed him in the side, causing him to yelp in pain. Omnimon then spun around with his left foot outstretched, smashing his leg into the left side of NightmareOmnimon's head and driving him from the perch they shared, ending with NightmareOmnimon's smashing into another stone slab some distance away. Omnimon didn't waste a second; he bounded over to where NightmareOmnimon lay and shoved his Transcended Sword through NightmareOmnimon's back, causing the dark digimon to cry out in agony. Omnimon lifted his skewered opponent up and placed his Supreme Cannon against NightmareOmnimon's back.

"I've got news for you," said Omnimon. "All nightmares come to an end in the clear light of day."

Omnimon fired his cannon into NightmareOmnimon's back. The initial blast burst all the way through his body, but the second wave sent him soaring through the sky and smashing through anything in his path. Eventually, the immensely evil warrior came to rest on a platform dangerously close to the DigiDestined and other digimon. Omnimon appeared direclty over NightmareOmnimon slamming his heel into the knight's back, throwing him down onto another landing. NightmareOmnimon lay there, motionless, a gaping hole through his breast and cape.

"Yeah!" cheered YukimiBotamon.

"Take THAT you bucket of bolts!" shouted Geromon.

"Take him down!" Joe yelled.

Omnimon landed behind the fallen NightmareOmnimon. He wasn't entirely certain whether or not NightmareOmnimon was down for the count, but he couldn't take the risk that he was just playing opossum. He took aim with his Supreme Cannon again, but before he could fire NightmareOmnimon shot straight up into the air, spun around, and gave Omnimon a powerful kick to the face. NightmareOmnimon's eyes glowed fiercely as his wounded torso repaired itself. Omnimon landed again on a lower slab, never taking his eyes off his nemesis for an instant. NightmareOmnimon took off after his rival with his sword ready. He brought his sword up over his head and slammed it back down again as he got in close, but Omnimon blocked with his own sword. The force behind NightmareOmnimon's attack was so great that it propelled the two halfway across the platform and sent cracks through the stone slab. NightmareOmnimon and Omnimon parted from one another once the force behind NightmareOmnimon's attack ran dry. They looked at each other again for a few moments. Then NightmareOmnimon lunged. The impending duel was incredible. Both digimon hacked, slashed, blocked, and dodged with unimaginable speed. Their swords blazed, their feet shifted back and forth too quickly to be followed, their limbs flailed wildly. There were blows being struck, but it was impossible to tell who was giving them and who was receiving them. As they battled the ground underfoot grew increasingly unstable until it finally just shattered into rubble. And still they dueled. Shock waves were sent out with every blow, damaging all nearby rocky platforms with their force. The violent tremors caused many of the rocky slabs to shift and buck up and down. One particular blow was strong enough to turn most of the platforms up on edge, throwing many of the DigiDestined for a loop.

"Mimi!" called Michael.

Michael had managed grab onto the edge of the platform he stood on as it began to turn vertical, but Mimi was not so lucky. She began to slip away from him, trying desperately to find a handhold on the smooth surface.

"Grab my hand!" shouted Michael as he stretched to reach her as hard as he could.

"I'm slipping!" said Mimi as she slid even further out of reach.

"Then grab my legs!" said Michael.

In one last desperate grab, Mimi took ahold of Michael's ankles. She strained to remain attached to him as Michael fought to keep his grip.

"Thank goodness," said Mimi, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was sure we were goners."

"Don't rule that out yet!" said Michael, his face red and his musacles twitching from the strain of supporting both himself and Mimi.

"Wait! Where're Jack and Yolei?! Where are our digimon?!"

"Oh don't worry about us," said Jack's voice sarcastically from below the two of them. "We're just hanging out."

Michael and Mimi turned their heads to look down. What they saw was Jack, desperately holding onto the very bottom edge of the upturned platform with the tips of his fingers, grabbing at even the slightest handhold. Geromon, Pururumon, Yuramon and Botamon were all huddled closely around his face, and Yolei clung tenaciously to his legs for dear life.

"I want off this ride!" Yolei cried.

"Not helping!" shouted Jack as his fingers began to slip.

"We have to rescue them!" said Mimi.

"I don't think we can!" said Michael.

"Well do SOMETHING!" Jack pleaded, his face turning red as sweat dripped down his temples. "I can't hold on forever!"

"I can promise not to drop onto you," said Michael. "But that's about it."

"Michael! Do you think you can climb up higher?!" Mimi asked.

"Maybe."

"Then do it!" Mimi ordered. "There's not much time!"

Mustering all of his remaining strength, Michael began to pull Mimi and himself up. Inch by inch, he crept closer to being on top of the platform. He gritted his teeth and pushed his muscles to the breaking point, but it paid off when he finally made it high enough for Mimi to climb off his legs and for both of them to get to the top.

"Now hurry and lean over the other side with me!" said Mimi. "If we can counter the weight of Jack and Yolei, we might be able to bring this thing level again!"

"Please hurry!" Yolei shouted.

"Okay, let's do it!" said Michael.

Together, the two of them, dropped over the other side, doing their best to pull the rocky surface down with them. Slowly, painfully slowly, the stone slab began to creak back toward its original position. Mimi and Michael scrambled back to the top to keep from becoming two more victims of gravity, and ran to help Jack and Yolei up along with the four Fresh digimon.

Omnimon and NightmareOmnimon continued trading blows. They bounded from platform to platform, smashing all they touched. By that point much of the area was filled with hovering rubble. The sounds of the battle pounded incessently in the ears of everyone there. NightmareOmnimon took one grand slice, but Omnimon dodged and the shock wave from the attack had nowhere to go but straight through a floating boulder, splintering it into dozens of extremely dangerous shards that were tossed in every direction.

"Sora! Down!" Matt shouted.

He tackled Sora just as a long shard of rock passed through where she had been standing.

"Sora! Are you okay?!" asked Tai.

"I'll be fine," said Sora, breathing heavily.

"We can't let this go on any longer!" said Matt. "It's gotten way out of hand!"

"Omnimon! You've got to end this!" TK shouted.

"Come on! Hurry!" Kari chimed in.

"He's already fighting at his best," said Izzy. "How can we expect any more?"

"But NightmareOmnimon's doing the same," said Cody.

"This is bad," said Joe. "Very bad."

"Come on! Where's your spirit?" asked Davis. "They only way we can lose is we lose faith in Omnimon! He's our last chance now, so we need to believe in him more than ever! I can't believe we'll lose if we believe in something that much!"

"Davis is right!" said Ken. "Come on, guys! It's worked before and I know it'll work again!"

"We can still do this!" said Willis.

"I for one haven't come this far to lose now!" said Jack.

"It's time to put an end to this once and for all!" said Cody.

"Teach him what happens when you mess with the DigiDestined!" Yolei cheered.

Suddenly invigorated by the support of his allies, Omnimon pinned NightmareOmnimon's Infernal sword down with his Transcended Sword and used his free hand to land a savage blow against NightmareOmnimon's face. NightmareOmnimon stumbled backwards and Omnimon quickly retracted his sword and moved in, pounding away with an absolutely brutal progression of punches, tearing NightmareOmnimon down to size. Bits of the dark digimon's armor chipped away with every strike. Omnimon then pulled back for one big hit. He looked NightmareOmnimon straight in his dazed eyes and let loose, but the punch was dodged and NightmareOmnimon shoved his right hand up against Omnimon's torso. In an instant, his Infernal Sword sprang forth and burst through Omnimon's chest, forcing his eyes wide open as he cried out with the sudden pain and shock.

"OMNIMON!" screamed Tai.

"NO!" cried Matt.

"Now, my unworthy adversary…" said NightmareOmnimon, twisting his blade so as to elicit more shrieks of pain from his mortally wounded nemesis. "Watch as I bring swift death to these humans. Know the pain I have felt burning within me for an aeon! Know that I will live FOREVER!"

With what would almost certainly have been an indescribably sadistic smile, NightmareOmnimon turned his gaze toward the DigiDestined. Slowly, he brought his Cataclysm Gun up and took careful aim at the center of the group.

"Boom…" NightmareOmnimon snarled.

"Ex…exactly what I was going to say…" croaked the voice of Omnimon.

NightmareOmnimon felt a sudden pressure on his chestplate and looked back toward Omnimon. Omnimon, though barely alive, had pressed his Supreme Cannon up against NightmareOmnimon's breast.

"No," said NightmareOmnimon, his eyes growing wide.

"LIGHT…OF…JUDGEMENT!!!" screamed Omnimon, unleashing Protomon's ultimate attack through the barrel of his cannon.

The wave of pure energy hit NightmareOmnimon an instant later. The sheer destructive power at point-blank range was far too much for the virus to handle. It spread over his body and eradicated it from existence completely. The unlimited power of the attack decompiled and erased the virus' very program. The Corrupter was dead at long last, annihilated to the absolute degree. As the brilliant white light of the attack overwhelmed them all, a single glowing entity approached Omnimon. It was a small digignome with a silly white hat [see the digignome with TK's hat in ch.19 and earlier]. Omnimon knew why it had come and he made his wish.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Holy crap. Now THAT was fun to write. It's just my own little present from me to you to celebrate my 18th birthday today. Read, review, and don't go away, because the final chapter of _The Crest of Corruption_ is coming up next time. You won't want to miss it.]


	40. The Big Goodbye

[I hope you all enjoy this one, because I am amazed I was able to get it out so quickly, considerring the utter Hell I've had to endure for the past two weeks and the length of this piece. But anyway, now we come to the last and longest chapter of the story. With a total length of 240 pages, this is my single longest work to date. I have worked long and hard on this chapter to make it the best it can possibly be. Now, I ask you to please read, enjoy, and most definitely review…]

****

Day 27

Slowly, the golden rim of the sun peaked over the dry mountain ranges. Its glow swept over a renewed world ready for a chance at real peace for the first time in years. All of the evil forces to threaten this new time had been trampled underfoot or had scampered into the dark recesses of their lairs. But, of all the remaining forces opposed to the light of the golden sun, one group remained that could destroy all that had been accomplished.

The rays of the sun shone down on a valley where life could not exist. Frigid winds blew, despite the arid surrounding lands. The entire basin was a pit of dry, gray rock with cracks and fissures throughout it. Even the purest light could not penetrate one long, jagged crevice, a canyon that stretched the length of the valley and had dozens of offshoots. Carved into the side of the canyon wall, somewhere at the base of this canyon, there stood a massive gateway. Beyond it lay a stone temple carved out of the very land with one chamber after another, digging deep into the subterranean world. In these dark hallways could be heard swift footsteps on the cold floor. A figure in a black robe with dark blue fringe walked quickly but carefully forward. In his right palm he cradled a small, black sphere that radiated with evil energy [see ch.22]. Finally, he approached the final chamber, and the massive stone doors opened up before him. A wave of heat hit him, as he suspected. The final chamber lay at the very entrance to a much older stratum of pure earth. A wall of flame ten stories high stood constant guard over this final entrance, prohibiting anything to pass through. Before the wall of fire stood seven more figures in black robes much like the one who had just entered.

"Welcome home, brother," said the raspy-voiced head figure, whose fringe was dark green. "I trust our prize is secure."

"Of course," said the man, extending his hand for all to see the sphere resting thereupon.

"Magnificent…" said a female with purple fringe.

"And NightmareOmnimon?" asked the head figure.

"I am afraid he is dead," the man spoke casually.

"We expected as much," said a man with brown fringe. "Why _he_ ever put so much faith in that virus is beyond me."

"Dear brother…" said the headman, turning to the man with the brown fringe. "NEVER question _his_ authority. That is the first rule that we all must obey. The loss of NightmareOmnimon may yet damage our cause in a way I have not foreseen."

"Be calm, brother," said a bulkier male figure with yellow fringe. "We still have two of the three keys. In due course, the third will come before us."

"You are correct, of course," said the headman. "This dark spore cost us a great deal, but the life of one of our dear brothers and that virus are a small price to pay in this matter."

"But can the Destroyer actually defeat those children?" asked another woman with red lining on her robes. "They have proven far too resourceful in the past. Both MaloMyotismon and NightmareOmnimon lay dead. How confident are we in the Destroyer?"

"My dear, can you be so blind?" asked the headman. "The Destroyer is the indomitable overlord of all demon digimon. Those DigiDestined could never defeat him."

"But until he comes to us, we are vulnerable," said the woman with the purple fringe. "He may take years to find us."

"That is a short time to wait, sister," said the man with the yellow fringe. "Nearly a thousand years have built up to this time. I believe we could all stand to wait a few more."

"So what is our next step?" asked the man with the blue fringe.

"Now, we prepare the path," said the headman.

Jack sat up in a cold sweat. His dreams had been disturbed and chaotic. He felt that he was in a bed, undoubtedly the most comfortable experience for him in recent memory. His eyes searched wearily, and he realized he was in a small, thatched hut with bamboo furniture and an open doorway, looking out onto a beautiful sunny day. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the dim lightning, he noticed his shirt and jacket slung over a bamboo chair in the corner. His dog tags were still around his neck; they seemed very cold against his naked chest. He groggily stepped out of the bed and put his shoeless feet on the woven mat that served as the floor. Jack cautiously stood and walked toward the chair. He picked up his shirt, which he found to be tattered and torn, and put it on, casually buttoning it. He then moved onto his severely scuffed leather jacket; the thing had seen better days to say the least. Jack then finished by putting his shoes on, which he found underneath the chair, and tried to comb his hair to no avail. He then noticed that in one of the three other beds in the hut, there was a lump too small to be any of the other humans. After a few gentle nudges, Jack was greeted by a disapproving snarl.

"Stormdramon!" Jack said quietly. "Come on, wake up now."

"…No, I said two enchiladas and a Ginsu knife, hold the mayonnaise…" Stormdramon grumbled incoherently in his sleep.

"Move it or lose it, muscle-head!" Jack said a little more forcefully.

"Wha'? Huh?" Stormdramon sputtered upon being jolted awake. "Jack? That you?"

"Yeah, it's me alright," said Jack warmly. "It's good to see you alive and well."

"Right back at ya'," Stormdramon said with a smirk. "Hey, what happened? Where's NightmareOmnimon?"

"I'm pretty sure we finally took care of him," said Jack, sitting down on the cold mat in front of the bed.

"Oh yeah… It's coming back now," Stormdramon said as he slowly sat up. "Hey, wait a minute. When I passed out I was only Geromon. How did I get back to being Stormdramon?"

"That's a good question. Another good one might be how we got here."

"Or where 'here' is."

"Well I don't think just sitting here is going to answer any of those. Come on, let's go take a look around."

Stormdramon stretched his limbs, back and wings before unenthusiastically descending to the floor. Jack stood slowly with a bit of a grunt. Both were still very much worn-out and the previous day's battle had left them both sore from head to toe.

As the two of them stepped into the sunlight they shielded their eyes. It was a very bright day. As they grew accustomed to the brightness they could both clearly see that they were in a small primitive village in a clearing among a thinly populated forest. The salty smell of the air told them that the sea could not be very far away.

"Ahoy there!" called out a voice from off to the right.

Jack and Stormdramon turned their heads and saw that it was Willis, closely followed by Terriermon, Lopmon, and Keramon.

"Willis?" asked Jack. "Where are we?"

"We're back in the Digital World again," said Willis as he stopped a couple feet away from the pair.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to this place again," said Terriermon.

"I for one am amazed it's still around," said Lopmon. "Who knows what might have happened if we didn't stop NightmareOmnimon."

"But how did we get here?" asked Stormdramon.

"I couldn't tell you for certain," said Willis. "But apparently Omnimon brought us here. We were all unconscious at the time, except for Omnimon. I understand Tai was the first one to wake up. He says he found all of us in a pile. Omnimon told Tai about this village, which wasn't too far from where we had all landed. Omnimon wasn't exactly designed for moving people and small digimon around, so it was pretty much up to Tai to get us all here. He says he carried us one by one and put us in these huts. One by one we gradually woke up."

"Sounds like quite a night," said Jack. "But wait, are you saying Omnimon is still with us?"

"I know, it has me worried too," said Willis. "I would think he would have returned to his Rookie forms like all the others, but for some reason he hasn't split apart."

"You didn't ask him?" asked Stormdramon.

"Believe me, we tried," said Willis.

"Omnimon incommunicado," said Keramon.

"He hasn't said a word to any of us," Lopmon explained. "He just sits out there on that hill, meditating."

"We think he's just waiting until we're all awake," said Willis, "so he can say whatever he needs to say to all of us. Come on, these three and I were just going to check on the others to see if they're awake yet."

"Who's still out of it?" asked Jack.

"Last time I checked, there was just Cody, Izzy, Armadillomon, and Tentomon, other than yourself and Stormdramon. If you want we could go check to see if they're awake yet together."

"Okay. Let's get going," said Jack.

Elsewhere, in the shade of the forest, Kari had bent over to smell a very lovely flower. TK stood a few feet away with his hands in his pockets. He let out an inaudible sigh.

"Oh, TK…" said Kari as she stood upright again. "Doesn't everything seem so wonderful? When I look around I can't help feeling life all around me."

Kari closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

"I know what you mean," said TK. "There were a few times back there when I thought we'd never get to see another day like this."

"And yet here we are," said Kari. "We did it."

"Kari?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when you were taken from us?"

"Of course I do, silly," she replied with a small laugh.

"I just wanted you to know that I never gave up for a second. Nothing could have stopped me from finding you."

"I would expect nothing less."

A few more seconds passed. Kari sat down in the grass and TK sat on a rock a couple feet away. They both looked just about everywhere except at each other.

"I've been doing some thinking," TK said finally. "You're… you're very important to me, Kari. I don't think I could ever feel the same way about anyone else as I feel about you. I mean… it's kinda' like we're soul mates or something. If it wasn't for you I don't think I'd even believe in something like that, what with my parents and all. You've really taught me what it means to be in love. You're so good and caring and I don't think I'd ever want to lose you; that's what had me so scared when you disappeared. I've always tried so hard to keep you safe but then suddenly things were completely beyond my control and I couldn't do anything and now I'm just blathering on and on, aren't I?"

Kari laughed again and nodded.

"Well that's just great. Here I am trying to express my deepest feelings in the most perfect way and I come off sounding like a complete idiot. Smooth move TK. There really should be classes to teach people like me how to—"

Kari cut TK off in mid-sentence, putting her index finger over his lips to silence him.

"I think I get what you're saying, TK," said Kari.

"You do?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well… that's great… because to be honest I'm not even sure what I was going for."

"Don't worry, TK. I think that's what love is. I don't think it CAN be put into words. It's just… something you feel deep inside. There's no rhyme or rule to it… it's just there, and when you have it, it's the best feeling in the world."

"Wow. You're a LOT better at this than I am."

"Sorry about that."

"Hey, don't apologize, Kari. It's not like you did anything wrong."

"Oops. Sorry again."

TK cracked a smile. Kari rolled her eyes and did likewise once she realized her error.

"TK, I really do like you a lot."

"I feel the same way about you."

"You're a really great guy. You're so kind and generous and you're always there for your friends; you're always so nice and good in every way, I almost feel like I don't deserve you. I remember back when I first got pulled into the Dark Ocean; you came for me then too. As I recall, you told me how much you care about me… in both your words and what you did. So tell me, is it still, 'you know, just…stuff'?"

"Oh, well, of course not. It's like, I don't know… um… I feel so connected to you and, uh… yeah…"

After tripping his way through what barely counted as a sentence, TK finally gave up and his face flushed with redness. Kari giggled again.

"And how could I forget how you make me laugh?" asked Kari. "You're perfect in every way. I really do like you a lot, TK. But…"

Kari kind of trailed off there at the end, averting her eyes from the boy sitting a few feet away.

The mood took a very sudden shift. TK was deathly afraid to ask the inevitable question, but he knew he had to. "But what?"

Jack and Stormdramon were taking a leisurely stroll around the village after checking on the other sleeping DigiDestined. The cool breeze was a welcome addition to this already glorious day. With little to do, they were talking amongst themselves.

"It's a great day," said Jack.

"Yeah," Stormdramon concurred. "The air seems so clean."

"Well I should think so," said Jack. "I mean, we HAVE been living in New York for quite some time."

"It's not just that. Something feels fundamentally different. Something is new."

"I think I get the same feeling. What do you think it is?"

"Me? I think… I think it's peace. For the first time in a long while, the Digital World has peace."

"Really?"

"Definitely. I don't know how to explain it; it's like I can sense the mood of this world. It seems like I'm in touch with it."

"Peace…" said Jack.

After a few more seconds, Jack let out a quiet sigh and turned his gaze toward the ground.

"Jack? What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"Don't lie. I can sense more about you than I can about the Digital World."

"Come on, man. It's nothing."

"How can 'it' be nothing? If it's an 'it' then it's got to be something."

"Don't play semantics with me."

"Don't change the subject."

"Don't try to turn this into something that it's not!"

"Don't try to deny what this really is!"

"Look, would you just drop it already?"

"Nope."

"You can be a real splinter in my side sometimes, Stormdramon."

"Lose the metaphors and tell me what's wrong!"

"Come on, man, don't get all serious on me now."

"I have to. This just might be our last chance."

"What?"

"Don't you know? The Sovereigns decided that once we beat NightmareOmnimon, our job was over. That's it; no more; finito. The DigiDestined have been disbanded."

"Are you serious?"

"When it comes to something like this, always."

"But come on. The Sovereigns and Protomon are gone. Who's gonna' kick us out."

"Protomon and the Sovereigns still exist. When Omnimon took on their powers, it's fair to say he took on a lot more as well. I can't say for sure if we'll still be split up, but I don't want to run the risk of that without being serious at least once."

"Jeez."

"Now come on! Tell me what's wrong!"

"I already told you I'm fine!"

"What is the matter with you?! Can't you for once open up to someone?! I swear that in the last eight years you've been really honest to me maybe half a dozen times! Come on!"

"Alright! Alright already!"

Jack sat down right there in the dirt and so did Stormdramon. The dragon digimon looked directly into Jack's eyes, waiting for an answer.

"Well?"

"Hang on a second," said Jack.

Jack cleared his throat and turned his eyes away from his partner before beginning.

"I guess I'm just… kinda'… I don't know; disappointed."

"Disappointed?" asked Stormdramon.

"Yeah. Is that it?"

"How are you disappointed?"

"Oh come on."

"Jack…"

"Okay, okay. I guess… I was really mad at that virus, you know?"

"Mad is an understatement. You wanted revenge in the most brutal way possible."

"Fine, whatever. The point is that I wanted to see NightmareOmnimon pay for what he did to you and me and everyone else he hurt."

"And he did."

"Right. He's dead now. He's long gone. I have my revenge. But still… I don't feel any better. Beating him didn't bring back any of his victims. It doesn't change the fact that you and I were both used by him. And it certainly hasn't done anything to help how I feel. I'm still as angry as I've been since he released me."

"Jack… I think you'll often find that revenge is empty. You probably pictured yourself building up to that grand moment where you hurt him back… but when it came nothing changed. You could kill him a dozen times over and your anger and hatred would only grow. You're only choice, I'm afraid, is to just let it all go. Forget about him and move on with your life."

"Stormdramon…" said Jack. "I had no idea you could be such a philosopher."

"I guess I'm getting wise in my old age," joked Stormdramon.

"Well, that's all great, but how do you suggest I go about letting go?"

"I know, it's easier said than done. Just try to do it a little bit at a time."

"But what?" TK repeated.

The boy waited for an answer silently, staring at Kari intently.

"But…" Kari began. "But I think we should take things down a notch."

TK's heart skipped a beat. His vision fell out of focus. His palms grew sweaty. He could barely even breath.

"Wh… wh-what?"

"I think we need to pull back a little," Kari said, going for it at last. "Over the past month we've been really close. To be honest though, I'm not entirely sure that's what I want."

Kari paused to give TK a chance to respond, but he just sat there dumbfounded.

"I just feel like we need to cool it off a little," Kari continued bravely. "It's not that I don't like you. Don't think that for a second. It's that… well; there's a whole big world out there. Besides, we've both got all kinds of pressure what with school and stuff and I'd really hate to have to choose between you and everything else. Losing you before I knew how you felt would've been bad enough, but now I don't think I could handle it. The past few days have made me realize that. I think it might be best if we stopped going out, at least for now. If something happened and we broke up… I don't want to put our friendship at risk like that; it's just too important to me."

"You're… dumping with me?" TK finally croaked out.

"Let's not think of it like that," Kari pleaded. "I wouldn't change a thing about the time we've been going out. It's has been truly wonderful, but I think it's in both of our best interests if we just try to go back to the way things used to be. I know it'll be awkward for a little while, but if we can both just tough it out, things can be back to normal."

"Kari, I—"

"Please, I need to get through this," Kari said as she began to tear up. "Here, you should take this back." Kari quickly took the silver bracelet TK had given her off her wrist and handed it to him. "If you're lucky you can still return it and get your money back."

Kari moved quickly, not giving TK a chance to respond. He weakly accepted the bracelet back and Kari stood up, turning to leave in a great hurry. She knew that if she stayed a second longer without TK responding she would break down in tears right there, so she began to pump her legs and move away.

"…Kari, hang on a second," TK finally said.

Kari hadn't gone more than a couple steps, but she found herself at a very important crossroads. Would she turn around and face TK or would she just keep going? She pondered the matter for a couple seconds, but in the end she knew she couldn't just abandon him; it wasn't the kind of person she was.

"Yes…?" Kari asked as she very nervously turned toward TK, pleading with herself not to start crying then and there.

"I was just wondering…" TK said without even getting up off the ground, "if sometime down the road, I don't know, in a year or two… could we still, you know, work? Is it too late to want that?"

At that moment, Kari saw something new in TK's eyes. It wasn't anger, or frustration, or sadness, or even a forlorn hope. Instead it was understanding. His oceanic blue eyes glimmered with the light of understanding. Kari knew at that moment that he would always be there to support her, no matter what happened.

"Maybe…" Kari said very softly. "Remember; it's never too late." [See TWDE ch.20]

With that, Kari turned to go and TK did not try to stop her. Elsewhere, Matt and Sora were sitting in the shade of a tree on a hill, relaxing against its strong trunk. The babbling of the nearby brook could be heard from the woods down the hill and the surrounding field's flowers were in bloom. Brilliantly colored butterflies fluttered all around the two DigiDestined.

"It's so beautiful," Sora spoke softly, intertwining her fingers with Matt's.

"I never would have thought I'd see a day quite like this one," said Matt just as softly.

"I know what you mean," said Sora. "Matt?"

"What is it?" asked Matt.

"It's…nevermind," said Sora nervously.

"Oh come on," said Matt.

"It's nothing; forget it," said Sora.

"It's obviously something," said Matt. "Come on, you can tell me."

"Alright…" said Sora. "Matt, last night, when we were all asleep, I could somehow sense that you were there. You were there the whole time. You… were watching over me."

"Well…" muttered Matt.

"I just want you to know how thankful I am," said Sora.

"Really?"

"Yeah. That was really sweet."

"Well, you're welcome I guess."

Sora smiled at Matt and then looked off into the sky.

"Is that it?" asked Matt.

"Yeah…" said Sora. "No. The truth is…I've been wondering for a long time now where we stand. I mean, sure we've been out a few times. We've had fun. But, where is this headed? Are we just going to stay like this, or will there ever be something… more?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm just as confused as you are. I have no idea what's going to happen between us. I think that for now at least, that's a good thing. I for one want to be a little surprised every now and then. I think that maybe we should just let things progress naturally. That might be why we've been taking it slow."

"I think it's something else," Sora said after a moment. "I think it's because we never talked about it before. I… I've always wanted to say how I feel about you, Matt."

"How you feel about me?"

"Yeah. How I really feel."

"You've told me that before."

"No, I haven't. I like you a lot Matt. I've just never been able to find the right words."

"I think I know what you mean," said Matt. "But things have changed, haven't they? Spending a few days fighting for your life will do that to you."

"Yeah. It'll certainly make you start thinking about things."

Matt closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles.

"You've got a boy," sang Matt, slowly and quietly.

"You got a girl," continued Sora in the same sweet tone.

"Sitting underneath a tree," sang Matt.

"They sit there everyday," sang Sora,

"And even though, you may think that this is the way things should be…"

"It may not always be that way."

"You can't take nuthin' for granted," sang the two of them together at a slow, steady pace. "You've gotta' live life today. I turn around, I can see what's behind me. I turn back around, I can see what's ahead. And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around... just turn around…"

"I say we don't change a thing," said Matt after a long pause. "We should just sit back and enjoy the ride. Let's see where it takes us."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Sora, leaning over to Matt and wrapping her arms around his torso.

Joe walked toward the beach very nervously. His legs were like rubber; he felt he wouldn't be able to stand if he stopped. As he walked he groomed himself incessantly, smoothing his shirt, combing his hair, fingering his glasses, and just fidgeting in general. He simply couldn't believe what he was about to do. If it weren't for what they'd all just been through he would have never even considered it, but things were different now. He wasn't about to go any further through life without taking a stand. He couldn't let himself continue wondering what might happen if only he was a little braver. Of course, just because he'd decided to stop acting so cowardly didn't mean he was about to stop sweating bullets. He was genuinely terrified of what he was about to do.

Finally, the beach came into view. That salty smell was everywhere. The beautiful blue sky stretched out over the calm ocean. The sand was warm under Joe's bare feet. He let the blue blazer slung over his shoulder drop to the ground. He was scared and excited and sick all at once. He couldn't make up his mind whether to jump up and down with excitement or to throw up. In the end, he did neither and continued his search.

"Come on, Mimi…" Joe whispered to himself. "Where are you?" [See TWDE ch.5]

Joe was on a mission. Nothing in the world was going to make him quit now. It was either talk to her now or spend months or possibly even years pining over her. He couldn't do that to himself anymore.

At that moment, he heard a girlish giggle over the next dune. His face lit up and he jogged forward, tripping up the hot sand. The second he reached the dune's peak he slammed himself down on his chest. What he saw was Mimi and Michael with their backs to him, sitting on a log.

"What is he doing here?" Joe cursed quietly.

Looking at Mimi and Michael a little more closely, Joe saw that they were holding hands. Mimi giggled again and Michael was smiling brightly.

"No… no, no, no, no…" Joe pleaded silently.

A second later his hopes were all crushed. Michael moved in slowly and gave Mimi a small but infinitely meaningful kiss on the lips. Joe swore silently. His face contorted with rage. How could this be happening? He was so close. He couldn't believe that Michael had gotten to her first. Those two hadn't shown any sign of being together before, so it must have just happened. That more than anything angered Joe. He was just about to stand up, go down there, and kick the living snot out of that punk Michael. He would have done it too, or at least tried, but then he caught a glimpse of Mimi's expression. She looked so happy. Her eyes sparkled, he lips shone with a joyful radiance, her cheeks blushed. She… was happy.

Joe couldn't believe it. Mimi was sitting there with Michael and she was happy. Joe wanted so desperately to go down there and take her for himself, but he just couldn't. There was just no way for him to do it. He couldn't bring himself to do something like that to her in a million years. He couldn't force himself to destroy her happiness. That would go against everything he'd come to believe about her. Although it was pure agony, Joe silently crept away. He'd gotten the answer he'd been searching for for so long. Even though it wasn't what he'd hoped for, it was finally resolved. If this was what Mimi wanted, then Joe could bring himself to be happy for her.

"What a perfect day…" Mimi said, staring out over the water.

"Compared to you? Nothing's perfect," said Michael.

"Oh stop it already," Mimi said with a smile, giving Michael a gentle hit.

Michael leaned over and gave Mimi another kiss on the cheek. She found herself blushing again. Sure enough, her hopes had been fulfilled. Ever since things had begun again a month ago when she'd been called to come to Japan, she had been searching for love. She'd finally found it, but she certainly didn't expect Michael to be the one she'd wind up with. The fact of the matter was that she'd been hoping to get a chance to talk with Joe alone, but for some reason a good opportunity came around. A few minutes ago, when Michael had told her how he felt, she was totally taken off-guard. She'd always thought of him as just a friend, but once she saw him in a new light she realized just how attractive he was. Besides, what were really the odds of Joe actually feeling the same way about her that she felt for him? She knew she could be a little ditzy sometimes. Joe would want a really smart girl. Mimi was very attracted to Joe for his smarts, but that was just one of the many reasons. But that was all in the past now. She would have to convince herself to stop pining for him once and for all.

Meanwhile, down at the river, Yolei stood alone on a stone bridge, looking at her reflection in the river below.

"We finally did it," Yolei thought to herself. "We defeated the evil forces that have been threatening the DigiWorld and our own world… but I still feel so empty. It's as though something is still unfinished."

"Mind if I join you?" said Ken from behind her.

Yolei jumped a bit in surprise.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I've disturbed you."

"Oh no, don't worry. It was just a little surprising is all," said Yolei.

"You looked like you were pretty deep in thought," Ken spoke nervously. "Maybe I should come back later."

"Don't be silly," said Yolei. "Of course you're always welcome to come and talk to me."

"I'm sorry," said Ken.

"There's no reason to apologize," said Yolei.

"Sorry," said Ken.

"Just forget it," said Yolei.

"Thanks," said Ken as he walked over and stood next to Yolei on the bridge, also looking down into the river.

"Hey Ken, I just realized something!" Yolei asserted. "We've stopped the evil forces in the DigiWorld. You've been saying how that's what you've wanted to do ever since you stopped being the emperor, and now we've done it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you see? All this time, you've been so focused on defeating the evil forces here; you were always so intense. But now, you've won. We've all won. It seems to me that you've made up for your past mistakes."

"Really?" asked Ken.

Ken began to think about what she had said, and a smile slowly crossed his face.

"I guess you're right."

"That's better," said Yolei, smiling in response to Ken's grin. "Let it all out. Let the world know that you're finally free."

Ken's grin widened and he started to laugh out of pure joy.

"I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Maybe I can finally say that I've repaid my debt. Thanks Yolei, I really am feeling better."

"So am I."

"Um, Yolei?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something I wanted to tell you. I just can't seem to find the right words. It's um, not really easy to say. You know how… I… uh… let me start over. You see, the thing is, I kinda'… well, I think you're really great. Okay, that sounded dumb. I guess you already knew that. No wait, I didn't mean that! But that's not to say you're not great or anything. Jeez. Well, of course you know I think you're great. What I guess I'm trying to say is that I… like… you. Oh man, did you know that too? Sure, I like you, but I… like-like you. What I'm trying to say is that—"

Ken grew redder by the second until Yolei silenced him with a quick peck on his cheek. Ken just sort of froze for a few seconds before his lips curled up in a contented smile. Both of them were blushing vividly.

"Was that what you were trying to say?" asked Yolei.

"Exactly," said Ken.

"Then shut up and say it."

Nervously, Ken leaned forward and gave Yolei a quick peck on the cheek. She got that starry-eyed look and practically melted at his touch. They stood there a few minutes longer in utter silence.

"I'd better get going," said Yolei.

"See you soon?" asked Ken.

Yolei hesitated for a moment.

"Count on it," she said after a brief pause.

She walked off while Ken remained behind.

"Yes!" they both said quietly once they were out of earshot of each other.

Back in the village, Davis and Veemon were laying on some makeshift lawn chairs, trying to get a tan. They didn't see Cody and Armadillomon approach until they were right next to the dozing duo. 

"There you are," said Cody. "We've been looking all over for you two."

"Oh hey, Codes. What's up?" asked Davis.

"Codes?" asked Cody.

"Yeah, it's a nickname," said Davis.

"It's so you," Veemon chimed in.

"I don't think I care much for it," said Armadillomon.

"Me neither," said Cody.

"Hey, I spent a lotta' time on that!" said Davis. "What's wrong it?"

"Well it's just that—" Cody started. "Oh nevermind! Look, all of us are awake now and we're going down to talk to Omnimon!"

"Cool! I'm there!" said Davis as he pulled his shirt back on.

The four of them made there way to a large, grassy hill where Omnimon stood looking out to sea. All of the others were already there waiting for them.

"Okay, Omnimon!" Matt called out. "Everyone is here now. Can you start talking?"

"It is good to see you have all recovered," said Omnimon as he turned his gaze toward the DigiDestined and digimon at his feet."

"Right, right!" Tai called. "Now will you explain what's happening?"

"Yes," said Sora. "Please tell us."

"Very well," said Omnimon, sitting down cross-legged. "I shall tell you what you must know, starting at the beginning. As you all know Protomon was created when the Sovereigns gave up their bodies to return the ultimate good digimon and restore harmony in this world. They felt that they would be safe with the recent purging of the strongest evil forces, specifically MaloMyotismon and Daemon, from this world. They did not anticipate that the computer virus we had fought and supposedly defeated would come to the Digital World. We learned to late that the virus was in league with the Vanguard, the ancient enemies of Protomon and all good digimon. It now appears that the virus, who was so long ago created by those humans of the southern quadrant, was used by them to take control of Protomon's DigiEgg and turn our greatest hope into our greatest enemy. It used the DigiEggs of the most corrupted digimon to add the taint of evil to Protomon, diminishing his purity and enabling the virus to take control. However, upon entering that body, the virus found a surprise. Though Protomon was weakened from his thousand-year sleep, he restricted the virus and insured he could not use the full extent of that body's power. As the battle progressed, the virus realized Protomon was regaining his power and could overcome his control at any minute. His frustration grew and his fighting style became sloppy. This allowed us to defeat him in the end."

"That reminds me," said TK "What happened to Gennai? Did those guys in black cloaks get him?"

"No," said Omnimon. "He escaped after holding them off to the best of his ability. Anyway, Protomon was reconstituted as a DigiEgg again and his purity was restored. Jack and Stormdramon cared for the egg while Protomon tried to rebuild his shattered power. Meanwhile, the virus made sure that Jack and Stormdramon would find their way to the desert base. Once they were there, it took control of them. It used them to slowly achieve its goals of a perfect body by capturing a Koromon and a Tsunomon and infusing their data with the essence of the virus."

"In my fight against Protomon, it realized that it could never hope to gain full control of Protomon, so it decided on the next best thing. It sought to create a body like mine, but evil. After searching through the information in the base, it discovered that the crests, when corrupted, could cause digimon to dark digivolve, like what happened with SkullGreymon four years ago. It also recognized the other possible uses for these corrupted crests. Its plan was to secretly take all of you one at a time and work on you individually. It had originally tried corrupting several of the crests, including Sincerity and Love before it recognized the best candidates in Friendship, Courage, and Miracles. The Crest of Miracles though proved incorruptible, due to the personal will or possibly simple dumb-luck of its caretaker. The method of corrupting the crests, accomplished by arousing the negative emotions of their bearers, worked quite effectively on the other four though. Ken and Kari too were targeted, but for a different reason. Ken still held the dark spore within him, and Geno recognized it as a source of power, so he reawakened the spore and the Emperor, or rather Millenniumon, resurfaced within Ken. He had planned to use his own crest to tap into that awesome dark power and use the corrupted Crest of Light as a focussing mechanism. Fortunately, his plan was foiled by your intervention. Millennium's betrayal too served to weaken his plot greatly."

"Prodigious," said Izzy. "But how do you know all this?"

"Protomon's immense knowledge lives on inside me," Omnimon replied. "He was aware of how these events would unfold since before any of you were born. But now I must continue. The virus contained within it the memory of a thousand battles. It's vast wisdom and experience insured it would have several backup plans. It used the corrupted crests to forge the Koromon and Tsunomon it had captured into a new, immensely powerful body for itself. Though it could no longer hope to gain the power held within the dark spore, once the spore had been seized by the Vanguard, it still knew of a way to make itself the single most powerful digimon alive. It used its powerful new body to distort the very fabric of this world and rip a hole back through time to retrieve its missing data from the D-Reaper. Protomon tried to interfere, but he was still too weak, even after receiving the gift of Kari's light so that he could be revived. We all know what happened after that point."

"Once the battle had ended, I was met again by the digignome that guided many of you to the White DigiEgg. The fragile creature used its life force to grant a final wish that would set everything right again. The massive destruction NightmareOmnimon left in his wake has been undone. Our interference in the timeline would have destroyed our entire present, but the digignome preserved our history. Simply put, it is now as if none of us ever left the present Digital World. The past will have no recollection of our intervention. All is now as it was meant to be."

"So it's like we never met the Tamers?" asked Davis.

"Yes," Omnimon replied.

"Even Ryo?" asked Ken.

"Him as well," said Omnimon. "But rejoice for him. His partner, Cyberdramon, died in the world you remember, but in the restored timeline that impressive digimon lives on."

"Well, I guess it's for the best," said Ken.

"Hey, that reminds me," said Stormdramon. "That guy Dobermon said he knew me. Unfortunately, it looks like I won't get the chance to find out from where anytime soon."

"Regrettably, Cyberdramon was saved, but Dobermon was lost," said Omnimon. "He valiantly surrendered his life to aid the Tamers. I could share with you his knowledge of you, but I must not. Not now at least. In time, perhaps you will come to learn the truth for yourself, little one."

"Gee, thanks," Stormdramon huffed.

"And now, I shall share with you all the outcome of all of this. I have come to realize what Protomon was trying to tell us with his parting words. With him gone, it is left to me, the sole inheritor of his power, to become the protector of this world."

"What do you mean?" asked Kari.

"I have taken up the burden of protecting this world, replacing the Sovereigns and Protomon. Their wisdom and strength shall guide me through my new role, but this role still comes with great difficulties. I fear that I must abandon a part of myself. In order that Protomon's powers remain intact, I must never again separate myself again. I shall now and forever live as Omnimon. This requires a sacrifice from you as well, Gatomon, as your tail ring now resides within me forever."

"I don't think I'll be needing it much anymore," said Gatomon.

"You mean… Agumon's gone forever?" asked Tai, looking very sad.

"No, I am still here," said Omnimon. "I am simply part of something much greater now. I will always be here Tai, and I shall always cherish my memories of our time together."

"I take it you're still there too, right Gabumon?" asked Matt.

"Of course, my friend. You too shall be eternally a part of me. All of you will be part of my heart."

"Gee, it must be getting pretty crowded in there with the Sovereigns, Protomon, Agumon, Gabumon, and now all of us," joked Gomamon.

"Ah, Gomamon. I have always appreciated the humor you have brought to us. It has been very helpful in the dark times. I fear that we will need it again very soon."

"Huh?" asked Gomamon.

"What do you mean?" asked Biyomon.

"Though I am your friend, I am also the Sovereigns. I must try to do what is best for both this world and for all of you. Sadly, both of these aspects of myself are in perfect agreement on one key factor. The time of the DigiDestined has passed now. Your role has been to return peace to this world and restore Protomon. In a sense, you have succeeded. It is up to me from here on out."

"You can't be serious…" Yolei gasped.

"Are you saying…?" asked Willis.

"The Sovereigns decided some time ago that after NightmareOmnimon was defeated, you should all be returned to your own world. Humans are indeed a dangerous factor for this world. On several occasions they have been used to bring great harm, and often it takes many good humans to overcome an evil one. The part of me that is your friend knows that it is in your best interest to go as well. If I could, I would send your partner digimon with you DigiDestined, but this world is their home. I cannot let you remain because dark times loom on the distant horizon. I can overcome the darkness, but I fear your presence could impede me, possibly costing you all dearly. There is only one option. As of this moment, the DigiDestined from all over the world have been officially disbanded. I… I can't express the depth of my sorrow over this decision."

"Isn't there any other way?" asked Davis.

"I'm afraid not," said Omnimon. "There is nothing I can do for you except to give you a few hours in which to say goodbye. Please, make the most of it."

Despite all the objections from the DigiDestined there was nothing that could be done. With only a few hours left before the gate between Earth and the DigiWorld would be sealed forever, the DigiDestined and their digimon spent their last hours together. Davis and Veemon tried to have as good a time as possible until the sky began turning orange and they were forced to confront the matter at hand.

"I can't believe this is really it," said Davis as he sat on a low, stone wall, throwing rocks into the tall grass all around him.

"I know, but this is how it has to be," said Veemon.

"Come on Veemon. If you come back to my world we can be friends forever."

"I'm sorry," said Veemon. "I just don't belong there. How would you feel if I asked you to stay here?"

"I see your point."

"Anyway it's not like we won't still be friends," said Veemon. "We just won't ever see or speak to each other ever again. Deep down though, you'll always be my friend."

"I never thought it would end like this…" said Davis as he fought back tears. "You…You take care of yourself."

"You too," said Veemon. "Just stay out of trouble. I won't be around anymore to help you out."

"Hey," said Davis playfully, his eyes still watery. "You need me just as much as I need you."

"Hah! You'd be toast without me around!" laughed Veemon, before his smile disappeared and his expression became indescribably sad. "I'll miss you Davis. I'll miss you a lot."

"I… I know the feeling," said Davis, sniffling slightly.

Down on the beach, Joe sat with Gomamon in his lap. Both of them looked out towards the seemingly endless ocean. The orange sky was reflected in the infinite waves.

"Would you look at that…" said Joe. "I don't think I've ever really noticed how beautiful the ocean here is. I could just sit here and watch it forever."

Gomamon looked down at the sand without responding.

"Hey, is something wrong?" asked Joe.

Again, Gomamon didn't respond.

"Come on buddy," insisted Joe.

"It's nuthin'. Just… forget it." Said Gomamon.

"Hey, you're really upset," said Joe with distinct concern in his voice. "You're usually so talkative."

"It's just that…" muttered Gomamon. "The last time we said goodbye, I somehow knew we'd see each other again. But this time…"

"Yeah. This is it. This is where we part ways."

"I'm going to miss you Joe," Gomamon said with a sniffle. "I hope you can take care of yourself with out me."

"Don't worry about me," said Joe. "I should be the one worrying. Just, stay safe. Stay out of trouble. Don't pick on anyone bigger than you, okay?"

"Well, okay, I guess."

"We're both gonna' be just fine. Just fine…"

Joe quickly made a move to wipe a tear out of his eye without Gomamon seeing.

Back in the village, Ken and Wormmon were walking around the huts in silence. It seemed like forever before either of them had said a word.

"Ken?" asked Wormmon. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't know," said Ken. "Normally, I can't stop thinking. But now, it's like my mind is a total blank."

"I think I might know why," said Wormmon. "The only way to keep from feeling the pain of loss is by not thinking about it."

"Wormmon…" said Ken, as tears began to well up in his eyes. "I…I thought you would never leave me. For so long, I carried the pain of losing Sam with me. I already lost you once. Don't make me go through that again."

"Don't think of it as a loss," said Wormmon, trying to comfort his friend. "Always remember that there are many people in your world who love you. Your place is with them."

"Wormmon…" said Ken as he fell to his knees. "How can I ever thank you for all you've done for me?"

"Just remember me Ken," said Wormmon. "And never forget yourself. Never lose that inner kindness that makes you my true friend."

Meanwhile, on one of the many grassy hills in the area, Jack and Stormdramon rested on their backs, staring at the sky.

"I suppose this is the end for us," said Jack.

"It would seem so," replied Stormdramon.

"What do you think it'll be like?" asked Jack.

"What?" asked Stormdramon.

"You know," said Jack. "We've been together for over eight years. It'll really change our lives when we say goodbye."

"You're right," said Stormdramon. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I…um… I just want you to know that it's been fun."

"It sure has."

"Yeah…"

A few more seconds of silence passed.

"Is that all you wanted to say?" asked Jack.

"No, not really," said Stormdramon. "I'm just going to miss you so much. I know I belong here, but it feels as if my home is back in New York, with you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Of course I do. I'm really going to miss having you around. It'll hardly feel like home if you're not around. Now I'll really be alone. Even though my folks have always been away most of the time I've always had you. But now…"

"Let's look at the things we're looking forward to. That'll get our minds off this."

"Um, okay. Say Stormdramon, what are you going to do here now that you're out of a job, so to speak?"

"You know, I have no idea. I don't expect a whole lot of signs that say 'freelance warrior wanted'. In the end, I don't think I'll feel right about myself until I find a way to atone for all the things I did while under the influence of the virus though. Chances are, I'll wander around for a while, looking for any good deeds that need doing. All I know for certain is that I can't hang out with the other DigiDestined digimon."

"Why not?" asked Jack.

"I think that being alone is just part of my nature," said Stormdramon. "In all likelihood though, it's something I picked up from you."

"Is that true? Is that why you won't be hanging around with them?"

"Sure."

"Really?"

"I see you've learned a thing or two from me."

"You still haven't given me the real answer."

"Alright, fine. The simple fact of the matter is that I'm ashamed. I tried to kill them just the other day. I'll never be able to look any of them in the eye again until I've repaid every last bit of damage I've done."

"Just do me a favor. Don't keep on blaming yourself forever. I want you to please try to lead a happy life. Follow your destiny wherever it leads you. I'm sure you'll be fine without me."

"And I know you can get along without me," said Stormdramon.

"I expect the same of you. But if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you just one more thing."

"Shoot."

"Who's Kizokumon?"

"Kizokumon?" asked Stormdramon with a puzzled look.

"Yeah. You said that name way back at the beginning of the fight with NightmareOmnimon. I'd figured it was someone you knew and never told me about."

"It doesn't ring a bell…"

"You were unconscious at the time I think."

"Oh come on. I think I'd remember if I'd said 'Kizokumon'."

"Well you did. Are you seriously telling me you have no idea who it is?"

"No. Not a clue," Stormdramon said as he strummed his chin with his fingers.

"Well dang. I just know that's gonna' be bugging me for a while."

"Oh! I just remembered something!"

"About Kizokumon?"

"No. Something I need to do. C'mon, let's go find Kari and Gatomon quick."

"Sure thing," said Jack.

The pair stood up and walked off in search of Kari and Gatomon. Elsewhere, Sora and Biyomon were saying their good-byes under an old elm tree.

"Well, here we are again," said Sora.

"I wish we didn't have to say goodbye again so soon," said Biyomon morosely.

"I know," said Sora. "I just guess that no matter how hard you try to stop it, a parting will always come after a meeting."

"Hey, that was pretty nice," said Biyomon.

"Really? I think I heard that from somewhere…"

"Well I still liked it."

Silence followed for a few seconds.

"Hey Biyomon?"

"Yeah?"

"We've gotten to be really good friends, right?"

"The best."

"So it's not gonna' do us any good to sit here and make each other sadder, is it?"

"You're absolutely right."

"So then let's both try to remember all the good times we've had."

"Yeah. Let's do that. It may have been hard a lot of the time. We may have had to even risk our lives, but I wouldn't have gone through it all with anyone else."

"I can't even begin to tell me how much you've helped me. You helped to fix things between my mom and I. You protected me more times than I can count. You were always there when I needed someone to talk to. You're like a sister to me."

"Do you really mean that?" asked Biyomon.

"Every word."

"Oh, Sora! I'm so happy! That you'd actually think of me as your sister… well it just makes me so happy!"

"Hey! Let's make a pact!"

"A pact?"

"Yeah, a pact. We both promise that no matter how far apart we are, we'll always be sisters. What do you say?"

"Oh that's a great idea! Let's do it right now!"

"Okay, it's official. We're sisters, and nothing can change that, not even being in different dimensions."

"I've never been so happy!"

"Biyomon, I'm going to miss you so much," Sora said as he expression took a sudden downturn.

"I'll miss you too," said Biyomon with a similar expression. "Say goodbye to your mom for me, okay?"

"Sure," said Sora. "And remember. I still love you."

"And I love you too."

Looking down on the village from a cliff above, Willis stood with his back to Terriermon and Lopmon, trying to hide his tears.

"It's going to be okay, Willis," said Terriermon.

"Just as long as we're together in spirit, we will never truly be apart," said Lopmon.

"You…you guys are the best," said Willis. "I never *sniff* thought you'd leave me, but here we are."

"Don't worry Willis," said Terriermon. "We'll be just fine here."

"But I don't know if I'll be fine," said Willis. "All this time, I thought you guys depended on me. Now I realize that I was the one who depended on you."

"I know you'll be able to handle it," said Lopmon. "Deep down, you're a very strong guy. Just remember us and never give up on yourself."

Willis quickly turned around and embraced Terriermon and Lopmon in his arms. He cried on their shoulders, and although they were being choked just a little, the twins sat there and took it, even offering Willis sympathetic pats on the back. When Willis opened his eyes again, he realized that they were not alone. Keramon was standing a few yards from them with a sad look on his face.

"Keramon," said Willis. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I come to say goodbye," said Keramon. "I have gotten wish. I have met the programmer. Now I go."

"But why?" asked Willis.

"I must," said Keramon. "I am virus type. If stay I could hurt others. No take risk."

"Keramon, wait," said Willis. "I… I just wanted to say I'm sorry. It's my fault that you've had to lead such a horrible existence. There isn't much I can do to change the situation. All I can do is offer a truly sincere apology and, if you would like, my friendship."

"I… accept," said Keramon. "I must go now. I no see you at Digiport. I very sad, but also very happy. I now have friend."

"Where will you go?" asked Terriermon.

"Far away," said Keramon. "I born of bad virus. Virus now dead but Keramon remain. I scare others. I scare myself. Must not meet any others. Must find peace. I say one last thing. Thank you, W…i…l…l…i…s…"

With that, Keramon left. He swiftly turned away and slinked off into the trees, never to be seen or heard from by anyone ever again. Meanwhile, in a clearing in the woods, Mimi sat quietly with Palmon.

"I always knew this day would come again," said Mimi. "I promise that this time, I will be strong."

"I'm really going to miss you Mimi," said Palmon.

"I know," said Mimi. "I'm going to miss you more than I could have ever imagined missing someone. You're the best friend I could ever imagine having, Palmon."

"Mimi, you're the best friend I could ever hope for," said Palmon. "I've learned so much from you. I've seen you grow up so much. You're the strongest human I've ever met; I can tell that you're going to be just fine."

"So are you Palmon," said Mimi. "Just remember that whenever I see a beautiful flower or two close friends, I'll think of you."

"I'll never forget you Mimi," said Palmon as she hugged Mimi, leading both of them to start crying on each other. "Nothing could ever make me forget you."

"I'll never *sob* forget you either Palmon."

As Mimi and Palmon continued to hug, Cody and Armadillomon were sitting on the edge of the stone bridge down at the river.

"I guess this is really goodbye," said Cody. "I can't believe this is the end."

"I know exactly what'cha mean, Cody" said Armadillomon. "It seems like only yesterday that we first met."

"So much has changed," said Cody. "We've all grown so much. I know this is an experience I'll always look back on fondly."

"I want you to take good care of yourself Cody," said Armadillomon.

"You know…" said Cody. "I think I'm finally ready to answer Izzy's question."

"Huh?" asked Armadillomon.

"Remember when we first met?" asked Cody. "Izzy asked me what I thought of the Digital World so far. I told him that I didn't like to make up my mind about something until I had all the information."

"So what's your answer?" asked Armadillomon.

"All things considered," said Cody, "this is a good place."

Armadillomon and Cody smiled and hugged each other one last time, wishing each other good luck. Izzy and Tentomon relaxed by the river upstream a ways. Izzy let the cold water run over his feet as he lay on his back, looking at the orange sky through the leaves of the trees overhead.

"Izzy, aren't you going to say anything?" asked Tentomon.

"Well…I was just waiting for the right moment," said Izzy.

"At this rate the right moment will never come," said Tentomon. "Why is it that you don't want to tell me what you're thinking?"

"I can't," said Izzy.

"Come on," said Tentomon. "I've never seen you this sad before."

"Alright," said Izzy. "The truth is that I'm afraid. The better word would be terrified I suppose. I'm terrified of never seeing you again."

"Izzy, it's the way it has to be."

"I know. It's just not fair. It's not fair!"

"Please calm down," said Tentomon. "This won't get us anywhere. You have to be strong for both our sakes."

"You're right," said Izzy apologetically. "I'm sorry I got so emotional."

"Don't be," said Tentomon. "I know how hard this is. There are times when it's okay to get emotional."

"Tentomon, thank you," said Izzy as he hugged his friend. "And you know… I still love you."

Tentomon fell over in surprise.

"Gets me every time…" Tentomon groaned

In another part of the village near an old well, Yolei and Hawkmon stood, knowing that this would be the last time they would ever have the chance to really talk to each other.

"I'm going to miss you so much Hawkmon," said Yolei with tears pouring out her eyes.

"There, there…" said Hawkmon as he did his best to comfort Yolei. "Things are going to be just fine."

"But it's…it's just so hard to say goodbye," Yolei sobbed.

"Don't think of it as goodbye," insisted Hawkmon. "Just think of it as, 'until we meet again'."

"We both know that's not going to happen," said Yolei.

"Yes…" said Hawkmon. "But isn't that a lot better than goodbye?"

"I guess you're right," said Yolei. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to miss you."

"And I shall miss you as well, my dear," said Hawkmon.

Michael and Betamon were also saying goodbye to each other. They were at the lake watching the sunset.

"It's finally over," said Michael.

"I'm not sure how to thank you Michael," said Betamon.

"What do you mean?" asked Michael.

"Well you helped us destroy the evil forces in the Digital World," said Betamon. "If it weren't for you there's no telling where I might be right now."

"And now that those forces are gone, it's time to say goodbye," said Michael.

"I guess it's the only way," said Betamon. "I would have liked at least a little more time to say goodbye though."

"But the important things can be said without words," said Michael. "Our being here together is by far the best way for us to part ways."

"Would it ruin the moment if I started talking about now?"

"Probably."

"Then I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut."

"You do that," Michael said the an amused smirk

Off in another part of the woods, Kari was looking for Gatomon.

"Gatomon!" she called. "Where are you Gatomon?"

Gatomon popped up from behind a bush and said, "Here I am."

"Where were you?" asked Kari. "I was worried sick!"

"I was looking for this," said Gatomon as she held up an old whistle. "I stashed it here just after you left four years ago. This is the first opportunity I've had to come get it."

"I can't believe you kept it all this time," said Kari, picking up the aged relic.

"It's a little rusty, but it still works," said Gatomon. "Um…Kari?"

"Yeah?" asked Kari.

"I know you're in touch with all kinds of weird mystic powers and such, and you always seem to know something special. You knew the answer last time and well… are we ever going to see each other again?"

"Sorry," said Kari. "I really don't know this time. I'd like to think we will, but it's not up to me. It all depends on Omnimon at this point."

"Oh…" said Gatomon.

"Don't worry though," said Kari. "Everything is going to be alright from now on."

"Really? Is this another one of your predictions?"

"No, just a hunch."

"I see…"

"Here," said Kari as she tried to return the whistle to Gatomon.

"No, Kari. You should keep it. Something might happen to it here, and besides, I don't think I'll be able to find the time to clean it, much less the time find the something to clean it with."

"I'll think of you every time I see it," said Kari. "I just wish I had something to give you."

"Don't worry about it," said Gatomon. "I won't need anything to remember you by."

"Kari!" shouted Jack as he and Stormdramon came walking up the path.

"Oh, hi guys!" said Kari.

"What's up?" asked Gatomon.

"We've come to say goodbye," said Stormdramon. "We won't be joining you at the Digiport."

"What?" asked Kari.

"We don't want a big fuss, so I'll be leaving on my own," said Jack. "I'd appreciate it if you'd tell the others."

"I just thought I'd give you something before I left," said Stormdramon to Gatomon.

"What is it?" asked Gatomon.

"This," said Stormdramon as he slipped off his tail ring. "You could probably use one. I don't know if it'll make you strong like your own, but at least it'll look good. Besides, it's not like I really need it anyway."

"Well it's a little big," said Gatomon as she slipped it on, "but it does look good."

"Well, this is goodbye I guess," said Jack as he and Stormdramon turned to leave.

"Wait," said Kari. "At least let me take your picture before you leave."

"Huh? Oh, sure," said Jack as he and Stormdramon posed for a shot.

Kari took her digital camera from around her neck and got Jack and Stormdramon into focus. There was Jack standing there with that quirky smile of his with Stormdramon latched onto his back with his face looking at the camera over Jack's shoulder and his wings spread. They were set against a background of woods made orange by the falling sun. Kari snapped the picture and said.

"Got it," she said

"Great," said Jack. "Tell the others goodbye for us."

"Can do," said Kari.

Jack and Stormdramon walked off toward the edge of the woods, leaving Kari and Gatomon there all alone. TK and Patamon were saying their sorrowful farewell at that very moment as TK strolled through a field full of flowers in bloom with Patamon on his head.

"Well Patamon, this looks like the end," said TK

"I've had a great time with you," said Patamon.

"Don't I know it…"

"Hey come on, let's try not to get all mushy."

"Yeah, I hate it when we do that *sniffle*."

"So what do you think will happen to the DigiWorld now?"

"Looks to me like you're going to have some peace and quiet now. No more battles to save the world for you. Just try not to get too fat in your retirement."

"Hey, I'm not the only one here whose been putting on the pounds."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh come on, TK! I've seen the way you eat, remember? I'm surprised you're not as big as a house!"

TK laughed a bit and Patamon followed suit. A comfortable quiet fell over the two of them for a few seconds.

"It sure will be nice to be a normal kid again," said TK "This was fun, but balancing homework and saving the world can really take it out of you."

"What will you miss most about this place?" asked Patamon.

"You of course. How could I miss anything here more than your friendship?"

"You're what I'll miss most about this experience too. Well…you and chocolate. You wouldn't imagine how hard it is to find chocolate in the DigiWorld."

"Your sense of humor is what I'm going to miss second most," TK said with a smile.

"Do you think this is really the end?" asked Patamon.

"I'm sorry, but I think it is," said TK sadly as he turned to watch the sunset.

"I thought as much," said Patamon. "But I was really hoping that I was wrong."

"Well, sometimes change is a good thing. Sooner or later, all things change. We all have to say goodbye to the past, but that doesn't mean we have to forget about it."

"You're right as usual. But you know TK…"

"Yeah?" asked TK, in a quivering voice.

"I really don't want to say goodbye."

"Me either *sniff*."

"TK? Are you crying?"

"Nuh-uh…"lied TK.

"I think this is one of those times that it's okay to cry," said Patamon. "It's alright as long as you really mean it."

"Oh Patamon," said TK as he sat down and allowed Patamon to hop down into his lap. "I'm *hic* going to miss you so much."

"You're the best friend I could ever *choke* ever hope for," said Patamon, who was now starting to cry.

"So are you *sob*."

The two of them continued to cry while Tai and Matt said goodbye to Omnimon back on the slope of Omnimon's hill.

"So this is really it…" said Tai.

"I can't believe this is all over," said Matt.

"I will miss you both deeply," said Omnimon. "You have no idea how much you will be missed, not only by me, but by all digimon."

"I suppose it all had to end sooner or later," said Matt.

"That's just the way it goes I guess," said Tai. "This is where I'd pick you up and give you a big hug Omnimon, but it looks like you're a little big for that."

"Tai…" said Omnimon. "You may not have always been right, and you may not have always done the smartest thing, but you have always shown your courage right to the end. You were the perfect leader for us. You kept us together through the dark times, and you helped us all to grow into who we are today. Know that I will never forget you. Know that I will forever think fondly of you."

"Omnimon…" said Matt as tears began to well up in his eyes. "I've tried to hide my feelings too much. Sometimes…I think you don't know how I really feel. Well I just need to tell you…I will miss you until the day I die."

"I share your feelings, Matt," said Omnimon. "I have always valued your friendship above all else. You have been the truest friend I could have hoped for. Your strength kept all of us going. Together, you and Tai formed the strongest fighting force the Digital World has ever known. You've saved us all too many times to count. And don't worry. I could always tell how you felt, even when you yourself couldn't."

"Thank you," said Tai. "Thank you for everything you've done for us."

"I don't think I'll ever be the same again after all this," said Matt. "I doubt that any of us will."

"You know…" said Omnimon. "I almost wish that this wasn't over. I wouldn't truly mind still having to fight if it meant we could all stay together, but our fight is over. For that, I am endlessly happy. I will live here in peace as this world's guardian, ever watchful of the forces of evil. Part of me, though, will always long for the days that we were together."

"I…I always knew this moment would come again," said Tai as he began to a few tears dropped from his eyes. "I…I just never…wanted *hic* to admit it."

"I understand," said Omnimon. "But now is the time to look forward, to the future. Never forget me, my friends."

Neither Tai nor Matt could respond as they were too overcome by emotion. They simply sat there for several sorrowful minutes and cried. Shortly after they had dried their eyes, the others joined them one by one.

"We're all here," said Kari.

"I guess it's time to go," said Joe.

"Where are Jack and Stormdramon?" asked Tai.

"They won't be joining us," said Kari. "Jack's going to be heading home on his own. I don't think either of them could handle saying goodbye."

"Keramon's gone too," said Willis. "He just wants to be alone I guess."

"I guess we should leave then," said Davis.

"Not so fast," called a voice from the woods.

The familiar guise of Wizardmon showed himself, stepping out from the forest. He was followed by a bandaged but generally all right Piximon, Meramon, and Ogremon. That was not all though, as Frigimon, Elecmon, a Gekomon and an Otamamon, three Numemon, Chuumon, Sukamon, and even Digitamamon appeared behind them. The whole mob of digimon rushed toward the DigiDestined with gleeful expressions.

"Oh wow!" said Mimi. "What are you all of doing here?"

"You didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?" asked Piximon.

"We made it just in time, too," said Ogremon. "It's a good thing Piximon recovered and was able to take us all here in one of those invisi-ball things of his."

"Wizardmon!" shouted Gatomon, rushing toward her old friend.

"It's good to see you again," Wizardmon said with a bow.

"Patamon!" shouted Elecmon.

"What's up?" asked Patamon.

"Good to see you again," said Elecmon. "If you have nothing to do later, would you mind helping me out at Primary Village? All the little digimon there would appreciate it."

"Well, I guess I'm out of a job right now, so I guess I might have some time to offer a helping hand."

"Ogremon!" shouted Joe. "It's been way too long."

"You're looking pretty sharp these days kid," said Ogremon.

"Princess Mimi!" said the Gekomon and Otamamon.

"Mimi! Remember us?" asked Sukamon and Chuumon.

"It's good to see you all again, even you Sukamon," said Mimi.

"Oh wow! She actually remembered my name! I feel so…so…so special!" Sukamon blushed.

"Queen Kari!" cried the Numemon. "We will miss you."

"I'll miss all of you too," said Kari.

"I know it's a little late," said Digitamamon. "But I really want to apologize for making you work for all that time at the restaurant."

"Don't worry about it," said Matt. "Although you could make it up to me by giving Omnimon a discount."

"Don't press your luck," said Digitamamon. "Oh, and by the way. I believe we still have the small matter to settle about the tab you've been running."

"Uh…" Matt sweatdropped. "The, uh, check's in the mail?"

"No checks."

"Oh come on. You know I'm good for it!"

"No freeloaders!" Digitamamon growled and grew impatient.

"Um, I don't have any cash on me at the moment…"

"You know, that's a mighty fine jacket you have there…"

"Frigimon! You're here!" shouted Tai.

"Of course I'm here," said Frigimon. "You didn't think I was going to give you the cold shoulder, did you?"

"I would hate to break this up," said Omnimon. "But time is running short."

"Just one second," said Kari as she handed her camera to a Numemon. "Would you mind getting a picture of all of us together?"

"Sure thing!" said the Numemon. "But how do you work this contraption?"

"Just aim it and it should auto-focus. Then click the button on top."

Numemon had to back up to get them all in the picture, mostly because of how tall Omnimon was, but he eventually got the perfect angle.

"Say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

The shutter clicked.

"Thanks," said Kari.

With that done, the whole mob moved over to the nearest randomly placed television and circled around it with the DigiDestined closest to the monitor.

"Well," said Willis. "I guess this is goodbye. I'm really going to miss you all."

Willis gave Terriermon and Lopmon one last hug before held his digivice up to the Digiport and disappeared without another word.

"I guess that's my cue," said Michael. "So long everyone. See you back home, Mimi."

Michael held up his digivice and disappeared.

"I had better get going too," said Mimi. "I promise I won't forget any of you."

Mimi held up her digivice and was gone.

"Goodbye Wormmon," said Ken.

"Take care, Ken."

Ken held up his digivice and vanished before he could start to cry again.

"Armadillomon, I'm really going to miss you," said Cody.

"I'll miss you too," said Armadillomon. "Tell yer grandpa that I said goodbye too."

"I'll do that," Cody said with a sad smile.

He slowly held up his digivice and was sucked through the Digiport, back to Earth.

"Goodbye," said Yolei, who was also crying. "You take care of yourself Hawkmon."

"You too," said Hawkmon.

"Oh come on…" said Yolei. "One last hug!"

"I thought you'd never ask!" said Hawkmon as he leapt into her arms and they had their last hug.

Yolei released Hawkmon a few seconds later. They gave each other deeply sad looks, and then Yolei quickly turned and left the DigiWorld for the last time.

"I guess I'll see you guys on the other side," said Joe. "Well, at least those of you who are human. Thanks a lot Gomamon. I promise you'll never be far from my heart."

"Good luck Joe! You go out there and be the best doctor ever!"

"I will!"

Joe held up his digivice and was gone.

"I'm going to miss you all so much," said Sora. "Especially you Biyomon."

"Go," said Biyomon. "Go home. Go to where you belong. Go say hi to your mom. Tell her you love her, for me."

Sora held up her digivice to the Digiport and, like everyone before her, disappeared.

"Tentomon," said Izzy. "I just want you to know that you're the best friend I've ever had."

"So are you," said Tentomon, brushing away a tear before he started bawling altogether. "I STILL wish I had a digi-mommy!"

Izzy smiled, held up his digivice, and vanished without another word.

"I guess it's my turn," said Davis. "I can't really think of anything else to say."

"How about good luck?" suggested Veemon.

"Yeah. That's about right. Good luck."

"Naw, you take all the good luck you can get," Veemon whispered. "You'll need it."

Davis gave a slight smile, held up his digivice, and then he was gone.

"Kari," whispered TK. "I almost forgot about this."

TK pulled the bracelet from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Just think of it as a gift between friends."

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

"Goodbye," said Patamon.

"Never forget about us," said Gatomon.

"We'll miss you," said TK.

"You two be sure to live happy lives!" Kari called out. "That goes for the rest of you as well!"

"After you, Kari," said TK.

"Why thank you."

Kari held up her digivice and was sucked through the Digiport. TK followed a couple seconds later without another word.

"I'm leaving," said Matt. "I'm going to miss this place."

"Matt?" asked Omnimon.

"Yeah… I know…" Matt said without turning around to show the tear on his cheek.

"So do I," said Omnimon.

Matt smiled to himself as he held up his digivice and left.

"I guess I'm the only still around," said Tai.

"Go…" said Omnimon.

"Just one last question," said Tai. "What will happen to the digivices, crests, and D-terminals?"

"They will disappear on your way back to your own world," said Omnimon. "Their data will be de-compiled and aid in the restoration of the world you've fought so hard to save."

"Oh…" said Tai. "Well I guess that's good. It's just that I thought if we still had them, there would always be a chance…"

"I know it hurts," said Omnimon. "In time, the pain will lessen. Believe that."

"Omnimon, I have a promise to make. I swear that someday, somehow, I'll be back here again. I'll stand on this very soil again, look up at you, and say 'hi.'"

"With your determination, I don't doubt that for a second, my friend," Omnimon laughed. "But this will not be that day. Go now, Tai."

"Goodbye…" Tai whispered.

Tai held up his digivice and a brilliant light swallowed him. He was gone. The Digital World felt a great deal emptier at that moment. On a cliff not very far away, Jack and Stormdramon overlooked the scene.

"And that's it," said Stormdramon.

"I guess I'm the only one left," said Jack.

"I guess so," said Stormdramon.

Jack bent down and hugged Stormdramon, crying on his shoulder.

"There, there," said Stormdramon. "Things will get better soon."

"I…I guess so," said Jack as he dried his tears. "I just don't think I'll be able to see any of the others anymore. It would be too hard. You know. The whole be ashamed thing."

"I understand," said Stormdramon. "Now go, my friend."

"Thank you," said Jack.

Jack held up his digivice to the Digiport on the ground next to him. The light surrounded him and he was pulled through just as the gate closed forever. Stormdramon was left there all alone. He shed a single tear.

****

The End

[Wow. How about that, huh? A great ending to a great story. At this point, I ask several things of you. First of all, review. I suppose that's a given. Secondly, I would appreciate any recommendations you may have for my next fanfic, such as increasing the normal chapter length, adding suggested music, or anything else you can think of. I would also a very much appreciate it if you would bear with me a little as I am forced to reorganize my internet connection. I can't be sure of the reprocussions, but rest assured I will continue writing and I will post as often as I can. I hope to get mini-fic number two out sometime soon, and following that will be what many have regarded as my greatest fanfiction of all time; the third fic of _Digimon: Legends_… _The Last Digivice_.]

Life goes on. Times change. The DigiDestined have moved on, and so have their friends. Peace reigns in the Digital World. Human life continues unabated. All is well. However…

"Hey look! It's hatching…" cooed Patamon.

"What do you suppose it will be?" asked Elecmon.

In the times of greatest light, one will find the deepest shadows.

"All is proceeding as planned, my lord," said the strange, female digimon.

War has once again come to the Digital World. Even Omnimon's great might may not be able to stop it.

"That's right," said Lopmon. "Unfortunately their forces seem to get stronger by the day and our reinforcements won't be able to get here for just under three weeks."

The Destroyer is risen, and has assumed his true form as a Mega. The evil of Devimon has returned and been enhanced a thousand times over. An experiment begun long ago has brought to life two very powerful digimon…

"I've necer seen a digimon such as this before," said Omnimon.

"I have," said Gennai. "It was a long time ago…"

Now, the Destroyer seeks vengeance upon those who slayed him and imprisoned his data in the Dark Whirlpool. His agents are everywhere, and yet none have seen the coming invasion.

"How could we have been so blind?" asked Gennai.

"This day has come too soon," said Omnimon. "The Vanguard must have been very busy to pull this off without our knowledge."

"Or they must have had help."

A journey is about to begin, and how it ends will decide the fate of countless lives.

"Welcome, young one," said an aged, yet powerful voice. "This is the chamber of the catalyst…"

As Arek the Absolute presents…

__

Digimon: Legends

The Last Digivice

"Make them regret coming for me. Slaughter them all."


End file.
